rtain 


AGRIC. 
UBRARY 


SHORT-HORN  CATTLE 


A    SERIES   OF 


Historical  Sketches,  Memoirs  and 
Records 


OF   THE 


BREED  AND  ITS  DEVELOPMENT 


IN   THE 


UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA. 


BY  ALVIN  H.  SANDERS, 
Managing  Editor  of  "  THE  BREEDER'S  GAZETTE.' 


SECOND    EDITION. 


CHICAGO : 

SANDERS  PUBLISHING  Co. 
1909. 


1,,-b. 


Copyright,  1900, 

BY  ALVIN  H.  SANDERS 

All  rights  reserved 


AGRIC. 
LIBRARY 


"The  history  of  what  man  has  accomplished  in  this  world 
is,  at  bottom,  the  history  of  the  great  men  who  have  worked 
here.  They  were  the  leaders  of  men,  these  great  ones ;  the 
modelers,  patterns,  and,  in  a  wide  sense,  creators  of  whatso- 
ever the  general  mass  of  men  contrived  to  do  or  to  attain." — 
Thomas  Carlyle.. 


267537 


TABLE   OF    CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I— THE  OLD  SHORT-HORN  COUNTRY  AND 

ITS  CATTLE. 

Some  Short-horn  shrines  -A  farmer's  cow  -  -Grass  a  prime  factor 
in  cattle-growing  —  Birthplace  and  origin  of  the  breed  — Ear- 
liest known  breeders  —  Some  foundation  stock 9-24 

CHAPTER  II— DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  IMPROVED  TYPE. 

Faults  of  the  old  Teeswater  stock — The  Bakewell  experiments  — 
Ketton  and  Barmpton  —  The  original  Duchess  cow  —  "The  Beau- 
tiful Lady  Maynard"— The  bull  Hubback— Foljambe  and  in- 
breeding —  Favorite  (25:3)  an  extraordinary  sire  —  "The  Durham 
Ox"  —  "  The  White  Heifer  That  Traveled  "  —  The  "  alloy  "  blood 

—  As  to  Robert  Colling  — "The  American  Cow "  —  The  Ketton 
Dispersion  — The  Barmpton  sales  —  Pre-eminence  of  the  Coil- 
ings ..         25-54 

CHAPTER  III— FOUNDATIONS  OF  THE  BOOTH  HERDS. 

The  elder  Booth  — The  Fairholme  experiment— Some  foundation 
sires  — The  Halnaby  or  Strawberry  tribe  — The  Bracelets  — 
Richard  Booth  at  Studley  —  The  Isabellas  —  John  Booth  at  Kil- 
lerby 55-67 

CHAPTER  IV— THOMAS  BATES  AND  THE  DUCHESSES. 

Early  studies  in  cattle-breeding — Original  investments  —  The 
Duchess  blood  —  Student,  experimenter  and  exhibitor  —  Bulls 
first  used  on  the  Duchesses  — From  Halton  to  Ridley  Hall— Re- 
moval to  Kirklevington— Belvedere  (1706)  of  the  Princess  blood 

—  The  cross  of  Whitaker 's  Norfolk— The  Matchem  cow  and  the 
Oxfords  — A  show-yard  disappointment— The  Oxford  Royal  of 
1839  — Prizes  at  Cambridge  — A  "brush"  with  the  Booths  — 
Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940)  —Importance  of  tabulated  ped- 
igrees—The Waterloos  — Wild   Eyes  Tribe— The   Cambridge 
(Red)  Roses  —  Foggathorpe  family — Blanche  or  Roan  Duchess 
sort  —  The  Secrets  —  So-called  Bell-Bates  tribes  —Last  appear- 
ance in  show-yard  — Dispersion  of  the  herd  —  Sixty-four  Duch- 
ess females— Individual  character  of  the  cattle.     ..       .<       ..     68-116 

(5) 


VI  TABLE    OF   CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V— PALMY  DAYS  AT  KILLERBY  AND  WAR- 
LABY 

Bracelet  and  Necklace  —  Buckingham  —  John  Booth's  sale— War- 
laby  and  its  show-yard  wonders— Faith,  Hope  and  Charity— 
Crown  Prince  (10087)— Isabella  Buckingham  and  other  celeb- 
rities—The  Blossoms  and  Windsor  (4013)  —  Bride,  Brides- 
maid and  Bride  Elect  —  The  quartette  of  "  Queens  "— Vivandiere, 
Campfollower  and  Soldier's  Bride  — Death  of  Richard  Booth 

—  The  Booth  method  of  breeding 117-142 

CHAPTER  VI— OTHER  EMINENT  ENGLISH  BREEDERS. 

Lord  Althorpe  (Earl  Spencer)  —  Jonas  Whitaker—  Wetherell,  the 
"Nestor"  of  the  trade  — Wiley  of  Brandsby  — The  Knightley 
"Fillpails"  —  Fawkes  of  Farnley  Hall -William  Torr-The 
long  roll  of  honor ..  ..-  143-163 

CHAPTER  VII— FIRST  IMPORTATIONS  TO  AMERICA. 

Character  of  the  Gough  &  Miller  cattle— Kentucky  and  the  Patton 
stock  — An  early  New  York  importation  —  The  Cox  importation 

—  The  first  pedigreed  bulls  — The  "  Seventeens  "—  Massachu- 
setts importations  —  Early  New  York  importations— Col.  Pow- 
el's  purchases  —  Ancestress  of  the  Louans  —  Walter  Dun's  im- 
portations       164-188 

CHAPTER  VIII— DEVELOPMENT  OF  OHIO  VALLEY 
HERDS 

Feeding  for  seaboard  markets  —  Ohio  Importing  Company  —  Felix 
Renick  and  confreres  in  England  -Whitaker's  selections  of 
1835  and  1836  — Sale  of  Oct.  29,  1836— Final  sale  in  1837  — Thos. 
Bates  to  Felix  Renick  — Mr.  Clay's  importations  to  Kentucky  — 
Dr.  Martin's  importation  of  1839  — R.  Hutchcraft's  importation 

—  Fayette  County  Importing  Co.— Importations  into  Tennessee 

—  William  Neff's  importation —  Wait  and  other  importations  — 
First  Bates  bull  for  Kentucky 189-224 

CHAPTER  IX— EASTERN  IMPORTATIONS -1830  to  1850. 

New  York  importations  —  Vail's  purchases  of  Bates  cattle— Whit- 
aker's shipments  to  America  —  Introduction  of  Princess  blood 

—  Miscellaneous  importations 225-237 

CHAPTER  X— SECOND  PERIOD  OF  ACTIVITY  IN 

AMERICA. 

The  first  "Duke  "  for  America  —  Morris  and  Becar  —  The  Earl  Ducie 
sale  in  England— Thorndale  and  the  Duchesses  —  Revival  of  in- 
terest in  the  West  — Scioto  Valley  Importing  Co.— Madison  Co. 


TABLE    OF   CONTENTS.  Vll 


{O.)  Co.—  Northern  Kentucky  Association  —  Scott  Co.  (Ky.)  Im- 
porting Co.— Clinton  Co.  (O.)  Association— Clark  Co.  (O.)  Co.— 
R.  A.  Alexander  of  Woodburn  —  First  of  the  Airdrie  Duchesses 

—  The  Alexander  importation  of  July,  1853  —  Subsequent  ship- 
ments to  Woodburn  Farm  —  Importations  by  the  Shakers  — 
James  S.  Matson  (Kentucky)  —  Wilson   &   Seawright  (O.)  — 
Mason  and  Bracken  (Kentucky)  Association  —  Livingston  Co. 
(N.  Y.)  Association  — Thomas  Richardson  (New  York)  — Dr. 
H.  Wendell  (New  York)  — J.  O.  Sheldon  (New  York)-R.  F. 
Nichols    (Louisiana)  —  First   importations  into  Indiana  — An 
early  importation  to  Wisconsin  — The  Illinois  Importing  Co.— 
Founding  of  the  American  Herd  Book 238-286 

CHAPTER  XI— SOME  HISTORIC  KENTUCKY  STOCK. 

A  new  era  dawns  — Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730)— George  M.  Bedford's 
lease  of  "The  Duke  "  —  Jere Duncan  and  Duke  of  Airdrie 2743— 
Abram  Renick  and  Airdrie  2478  — Airdrie  a  bull-breeder  — In- 
breeding of  the  Rose  of  Sharons  — The  Vanmeters  —  Young 
Phyllis  — Young  Mary  — The  Warflelds  —  Renick  903— Musca- 
toon  7057— The  Loudon  Duchesses  —  Adoption  of  Bates  type 
and  methods 287-332 

CHAPTER  XII— PROGRESS  IN  THE  CENTRAL  WEST. 

I'irst  Illinois  herds  — Early  Indiana  breeders  —  Pioneer  breeders 
of  Michigan  —  First  Short-horns  west  of  the  Mississippi  —  Foun- 
dation stock  in  Iowa  — Early  Wisconsin  herds  —  Activity  in 
the  show-yard—  Wm.  R.  Duncan  and  Minister  6363— J.  M.  Hill's 
sale  — J.  H.  Pickrell  — Sweepstakes  6230— Gen.  Grant  4825  — 
Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster 333-376 

CHAPTER  XIII— THE  BIRTH  OP  A  "BOOM." 

1  Royal "  honors  for  Bates  cattle  —  Duchesses  exported  to  England 

—  The  Grand  Duchesses  —  Havering  Park  sale  —  Sheldon  of  Ge- 
neva—Geneva  cattle    abroad  —  Walcott   &  Campbell  —  First 
Hillhurst  importations  —  Gibson  buys  Booths  for  New  York 
Mills  — Sensational  transfer   of  the  Sheldon  herd  — "Duke" 
bulls  in  demand  — The  McMillan  sale— Col.  William  S.  King— 
The  Lyndale  show  herd— Tycoon  7339— King's  victory  at  St 
Louis  — W.  R.  Duncan's  sale  — The  beginning  of  live-stock  jour- 
nalism.  377-417 

CHAPTER  XIV— AN  ERA  OF  EXPANSION. 

Hillhurst  and  Lyndale  operations— Exportations  to  England  — 
Clark  Co.  (Ky.)  Importing  Co.— High  prices  in  Illinois— The 
great  trade  of  1872— Oakland  Favorite  30546  and  Loudon  Duke 
6th  10399— The  first  National  convention— Opposition  to  pre- 
vailing "  fashions  "  developed 418-433 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XV— THE  SENSATION  OF  SEVENTY-THREE. 

Spring  sales  of  1873  —  Dunmore's  big  deal  —  Summer  sales  — New 
York  Mills  dispersion  —  Kello's  mistake— Sources  of  deteriora- 
tion— 4th  Duke  of  Geneva  —  English  sales  of  1873 434-458 

CHAPTER  XVI— A  GOLDEN  AGE. 

Spring  sales  of  1 874  —  Lyndale  sale  at  Dexter  Park — Other  Western 
events  —  Kentucky  summer  sales  —  Closing  events  of  1874  — The 
sales  of  1875  —  Glen  Flora  dispersion  —  Kissinger's  sale  -  Elliott 
&  Kent  — Spears  and  the  Nelly  Blys  — Pickrell's  great  sale  — 
Jacobs'  sale  at  West  Liberty  —  Dexter  Park  auctions  — The 
Avery  &  Murphy  sale  — Long  prices  at  Meredith's  — Airdrie 
Duchesses  at  $18,000  each  — Big  sales  in  the  Blue  Grass  — Push- 
ing the  Princesses  —  The  Trans-Mississippi  trade  — $3,500  fora 
Scotch  heifer  —  Groom  importations  and  sale  —  Other  important- 
transactions  —  All  records  broken  at  Dunmore  —  Torr's  Triumph 

—  Additional    importations  —  Another    Renick    exportation  — 
North  Elkhorn  (Ky.)  importation  — Closing  events  of  1875.    . .    459-509 

CHAPTER  XVII— THE  TURN  OF  THE  TIDE. 

Hon.  George  Brown  and  Bow  Park — 4th  Duke  cf  Clarence  —  Opening 
sales  of  1876— Potts  buys  imp.  Duke  of  Richmond— Col.  Hol- 
loway's  big  average  —  Albert  Crane  pays  $23,600  for  an  Airdrie 
Duchess— $17,900  for  14th  Duke  of  Thorndale  —  Closing  events 
of  1876  —  Pickrell  &  Kissenger  —  Spring  sales  of  1877  —  Cochrane 
at  Windermere  — Sale  summary  for  1877  —  A  falling  market  — 
Top  prices  in  England  for  1878  —  Dark  days  of  1879— The  rally 
of  1880— The  Vaile  and  Rumsey  importations  —  Sales  of  1881  —  A 
new  era  at  hand  — Injudicious  breeding  — Evils  of  speculation 

—  The  spur  of  opposition  — Scotch  cattle  to  the  fore.    ..        .      510-548 

CHAPTER  XVIII— SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST. 

"Caledonia  stern  and  wild "—  Science,  "roots"  and  Short-horns  — 
Feed-lot  considerations  paramount  —  Crossing  the  border  — 
Robertson  of  Ladykirk  —  Rennie  of  Phantassie  —  Barclay  of 
Ury— Hutcheson  of  Monyruy— Grant  Duff  of  Eden  — Brawith 
Bud— Simpson  and  Buchan  Hero— Hay  of  Shethin 549-575 

CHAPTER  XIX— AMOS  CRUICKSHANK  OF  SITTYTON. 

A  new  type  sought— The  brothers  Cruickshank— The  farm  at  Sit- 
ty ton — General  plan  pursued  —  The  first  of  the  Violets  —  Venus 
tribe— The  family  of  Mimulus  —  Picotee  and  her  progeny— The 
Matchless  sort  — The  Broadhooks— Origin  of  the  Lady  tribe  — 
The  Nonpareils  — Sittyton  Butterflys  —  Orange  Blossoms  — Ad- 
mah,  Kilmeny  3d,  and  Eliza  by  Brutus  —  Clipper  tribe  — The 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS.  ix 

Victorias— The  Lancasters  —The  Brawith  Buds  —  Duchesses  of 
Gloster — The  Secrets  —  The  Cicely  sort  —  Avalanche  —  Violette 

—  The  Lovelys  —  Barmpton  Roses— The  Spicys  — The  Laven- 
ders—First   Sittyton    bulls  —  Fairfax   Royal    (6987)  —  Hudson 
(9228),    Report  (10704)  and   Velvet   Jacket  (10998)—  Matadore 
(11800)  —  Plantagenet  (11906)  —Doctor  Buckingham  (14405)  —The 
Baron  (13833)  — Lord    Bathurst    (15173)  —  Master   Butterfly  2d 
(14918)— John  Bull   (11618)— Lord  Raglan  (13244)— The  Czar 
(20947)  —  Lancaster     Comet     (11663)  — Champion    of    England 
(17526)  —Windsor  Augustus  (19157)  —Forth  (17866)  —Lord Privy 
Seal  (16444)  —Prince  Alfred  (27107)  —  Other  outside  bulls  — Con- 
centration of  the  Champion  of  England  blood  —  Scotland's  Pride 
and  Pride  of  the  Isles  —  Caesar  Augustus  —  Royal  Duke  of  Glos- 
ter —  Roan  Gauntlet  —  Barmpton  —  Cumberland 576-644 

CHAPTER  XX— OTHER  NORTH  COUNTRY  HERDS. 

Douglas  of  Athelstaneford  —  Campbell  of  Kinellar  — The  Nonpa- 
reils, Miss  Ramsdens  and  Golden  Drops  —  Early  Kinellar  sires 

—  Booth  cross  disappointing  —  Marr  of  Uppermill  —  The  Maudes 
— The  Missies  —  The  Princess  Royals  —  The  Alexandrinas  —  The 
Roan  or  Red  Ladys  —  The  Bessies  —  The  Claras —The  Emmas  — 
TheGoldies  — Sittyton  sorts  — Early  sires  at  Uppermill  —  Heir  . 
of  Englishman  (24122)  —  Cherub  4th  (83359)  —  Athabasca  (47359) 

—  William  of  Orange  (50694)  —Later  Sittyton  sires  at  UppermiH 

—  Lethenty  —  Collynie 645-670 

CHAPTER  XXI— RISE  OF  SCOTCH  POWER  IN  AMERICA. 

Early  importations  into  Ontario  —  First  Sittyton  cattle  in  Canada 

—  The  Athelstane  blood  —  Cruickshank  cattle  at  the  shows  — 
Violet's  Forth  — The  Golden  Drops  —  Thompson's  other  impor- 
tations—John Miller's  first  shipment— James  I.  Davidson  — 
Hon.  John  Dryden  —  Arthur  Johnston  —  Miscellaneous  Canadian 
importations  —  The  lies  importation  into  Illinois  —  Robt.  Milne 
of  Kelvin  Grove  — Lowman  and  Smiths' importation  — Scotch 
success  at  the  shows  —  Potts  and  the  Duke  of  Richmond— The 
Fanny  Airdrie  "  nick  "  —  Frederick  William  and  "  the  twins  "  — 
A  line  of  Cruickshank  sires  —  Twenty  years  in  the  show-yard  — 

The  Wilhoit  herd 671-711 

CHAPTER  XXII— CLOSING  EVENTS  OF  THE  CENTURY. 

Sale  of  the  Hillhurst  Duchesses  —  Richard  Gibson's  sale  of  1882  — 
Woodburn  sale  of  1882— The  Huston-Gibson  sale  —  Palmer's 
sale  of  Scotch  cattle  -  Kentucky  Importing  Co.  of  1883  —  Sale  of 
Pickrell,  Thomas  &  Smith  —  Kentucky  summer  sales  of  1883  — 
Sale  of  the  Holford  Duchesses  —  The  Hamiltons  —  Col.  W.  A. 
Harris  of  Linwood  —  Success  of  Baron  Victor  — The  Linwood 
Golden  Drops —  Baron  Lavender  2d— Imp.  Craven  Knight— A 


X  TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 

search  for  sires  —  Princess  Alice  —  Linwood's  salutary  influence 
— J.  J.  Hill  of  North  Oaks  — Hope's  show  herds  of  1887  and  1889 

—  Luther  Adams'  importations— The  shipment  of  1887  — Cup- 
bearer bought  — West  Liberty  sale— The  memorable  purchase 
of  1887  — Lakeside's  show  herd  of  1888— Third  and  last  lot- 
Last  successful  Duchess  sale— Sale  of  the  Sittyton  herd  — The 
Cruickshank  cows   at  Collynie  —  Field  Marshal  and  Mario  — 
Scottish  Archer  and  Count  Lavender  —  Argentine  and  the  sham- 
bles—Summary of  Sittyton  sales  —  Moberley  and  Young  Ab- 
bottsburn  —  Mary  Abbottsburn  7th— Forest  Grove  sale— Wood- 
burn  dispersion  — Columbian  Exposition  awards  —  Recent  im- 
portations —  Herd-book  consolidation 712-79B 

CHAPTER  XXIII— A  DUAL-PURPOSE  BREED. 

Universal  adaptability  —  Feed-lot  favorites  —  " Prime  Scots"  — 
Smithfleld  Club  —  American  Fat-Stock  Show  — On  the  range— 
Dairy  capacity  —  State  fair  tests  — The  Columbian  records  — 

—  The  Wisconsin  experiment  —  Official  records  in  Iowa  — Fig- 
ures from  New  York  —  Polled  Durhams 800-838 

CHAPTER  XXIV— THE  LAMP  OP  EXPERIENCE. 
What  constitutes  success?  — Inbreeding  — Herd-book  registration 

—  Color  —  Handling  quality  —  Constitution,  character  and  con- 
formation—Primary points   in   management  —  Does  showing 
pay? —Selling  the  surplus  —  About  animal  portraiture— Tribal 
designation  —  Dignity  of  the  breeder's  calling  —  The  future.  . .  839-872 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


THE  8TH  (RED)  AND  IOTH  (ROAN)  DUCHESS  OF  GENEVA.    Frontispiece. 

CHARLES  AND  ROBERT  COLLING FACING  PAGE   25 

KETTON  HALL t 30 

"WHITE  HEIFER  THAT  TRAVELLED'."      ..        ..        ..        ..         41 

COMET  (155) 49 

THOMAS  BOOTH 55 

THOMAS  BATES . .        . .    68 

DUCHESS  BY  DAISY  BULL  (186) 74 

KETTON  IST  (709) 74 

BELVEDERE  (1706) 84 

CLEVELAND  LAD  (3407) 90 

NORFOLK  (2377) 90 

"PET"  DUCHESS  34TH 96 

DUKE  OF  NORTHUMBERLAND  (1940).         101 

DUCHESS  42o  AND  DUCHESS  43o 108 

WARLABY  HOUSE.          . .         . .         117 

NECKLACE * 120 

BRACELET.  120 

BIRTHDAY 126 

VIVANDIERE.         126 

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF  (21451) 137 

LADY  FRAGRANT.  142 

AT  THE  GATES  OF  WOODBURN 238 

FELIX  RENICK 277 

CAPT.  JAMES  N.  BROWN 277 

GEN.  SOL  MEREDITH 277 

THOMAS  WILHOIT . .         . .  277 

ABRAM  RENICK 

B.  F.  VANMETER 

GEORGE  M.  BEDFORD.    . . 287 

WILLIAM   WARFIELD.          

IMP.  DUKE  OF  AIRDRIE  (12730) 301 

LOUDON  DUCHESS  2o  AND  DAUGHTER.          

J.  H.  PICKRFLL 

COL.  WILLIAM  S.  KING ..        ••        •••        ..333 

(H) 


Xll  LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 

J.  H.  KISSINGEB.  833 

J.  H.  SPEARS 333 

BARON  BOOTH  or  LANCASTER  7535 369 

COL.  WILLIAM  S.  KING'S  PRIZE  HERD 409 

SIMON  BEATTIE 434 

RICHARD  GIBSON . .        . .  434 

JOHN  R.  PAGE 434 

JOHN  THORNTON.       . .     .    . .         . .  434 

14TH  DUKE  OF  THORNDALE  (28459) 459 

4TH  DUKE  or  GENEVA  (30958) 459 

GEORGE  W.  RUST . .        . .        . .        467 

HON.  T.  C.  JONES 467 

COL.  JAMES  W.  JUDY 467 

LEWIS  P.  ALLEN . .  467 

WILLIAM  TORR 497 

T.  C.  BOOTH.  497 

HIGHLAND  FLOWER . .        . .        503 

IOTH  DUCHESS  OF  AIRDRIE 510 

IMP.  MAID  OF  HONOR 510 

HON.  H.  M.  COCHRANE'S  SALE.  527 

AMOS  CRUICKSHANK 576 

SITTTTON  HOUSE 644 

THE  "STEADING"  AT  UPPERMILL 655 

A  GLIMPSE  OF  COLLTNIE.  . .     ' . .        . .  669 

J.  H.  POTTS  &  SON'S  SHOW  HERD.         671 

YOUNG  ABBOTTSBURN  110679 712 

COL.  W.  A.  HARRIS 727 

T.  S.  MOBERLEY 727 

WILLIAM  MILLER 727 

J.  H.  POTTS 727 

ROYAL  HERO  113611 ..        742 

JAMES  I.  DAVIDSON.  748 

JOHN  DRYDEN ..        ..        ..        748 

HON.  M.  H.  COCHRANE.      . .         748 

JOHN  HOPE 748 

WILLIAM  DUTHIE . .        . .  752 

J.  DEANE  WILLIS 752 

S.  CAMPBELL.  752 

W.  S.  MARR 752 

NEW  YEAR'S  GIFT  (57796) 759 

FIELD  MARSHAL  (47870) „ .        772 

RESIDENCE  OF  DEANE  WILLIS  OF  BAPTON  MANOR.  ..  776 


LIST   OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

ELVIRA  OP  BROWNDALE  3D  AND  CALF 792 

ST.  VALENTINE  121014.  . .        . .        795 

IMP.  BARON  CRUICKSHANK  106297 795 

RUBERTA  AND  ROSE  O'GRADT 798 

WILD  QUEEN  2o 800 

WHISKERS 800 

JOHN  D.  GILLETT 809 

DOWAGER  3D 822 

MOLLY  MILLICENT 822 

JEWEL  2o 824 

KITTY  CLAY  4TH 829 

SCHOOLER 829 

COLLEGE  MOORE 832 

COLLEGE  BELLE  2o 833 

ROWENA  2o 835 

Miss  BELLADRUM  GTH.  839 

BAPTON  PEARL.        ..        848 

CICELY.        ..        ..>        ..        ..       848 

BREED  TYPES  SHOWN  BY  PHOTOGRAPHY 858 

SHOW  HERD  OF  GEORGE  HARRISON 863 

CHAMPION  AGED  HERD  1904 865 

FAIR  QUEEN 869 


I  * 


CHAPTER    L 


THE  OLD  SHORT-HORN  COUNTRY  AND 
ITS  CATTLE. 

One  bright  morning  in  the  month  of  June  a 
few  years  since  the  writer  was  a  passenger  in 
a  vehicle  that  emerged  from  the  environs  of 
the  comfortable  little  city  of  Darlington,  Eng- 
land— once  the  Short-horn  capital — into  the 
open  country  so  familiar  a  century  ago  to  those 
rare  old  worthies  who  gave  to  the  world  the 
breed  that  forms  the  subject  of  our  story. 
Rural  England  at  this  season  of  the  year  will 
stir  the  blood  of  any  human  being  who  has 
any  capacity  whatever  for  the  appreciation  of 
pastoral  panoramas.  When  to  the  natural 
beauty  of  the  landscape  is  added  the  charm  of 
historic  association  and  congenial  companion- 
ship it  is  indeed  not  difficult  for  a  lover  of  Short- 
horns to  while  away  a  summer  holiday  in  the 
peaceful  valley  of  the  river  Tees  and  contigu- 
ous territory  in  York  and  Durham,  the  ances- 
tral home  of  the  breed. 

Some  Short-horn  shrines. —  Here  are  the 
grassy  lanes  of  Hurworth,  where  the  dani  of 

(9) 


10          A  HISTORY  OF  SHORT-HORN   CATTLBo 

Hubback  grazed;  there  the  farms  once  occu- 
pied by  Charles  and  Robert  Colling;  yonder 
Yarm  with  its  quaint  old  market-place  and 
Black  Bull  Inn.  This  cluster  of  cottages,  nest- 
ling amidst  sheltering  vines  and  flowering 
laburnums,  holds  the  unpretentious  roof  of 
Thomas  Bates,  and  marks  also  the  historic 
little  church-yard  of  Kirklevington  with  the 
tomb  of  the  man  to  whom  Short-horn  history 
is  primarily  indebted  for  the 'most  dramatic 
event  ever  registered  in  the  annals  of  agricul- 
ture.* We  try  to  recall  the  figure  of  the  keen 
old  bachelor,  but  we  seek  in  vain  through  the 
now-deserted  fields  for  Belvedere,  the  Duke  of 
Northumberland  or  Duchess  34th.  That  typi- 
cal English  hamlet  of  ye  olden  time — Great 
Smeaton — shows  the  house  where  Coates,  the 
father  of  Short-horn  pedigree  records,  com- 
piled his  earliest  notes.  Away  over  the  hills 
is  Eryholme,  with  its  memories  of  "the  beau- 
tiful Lady  Maynard,"  and  nearing  the  Tees  at 
Croft  a  portrait  of  the  $5,000  Comet  still  greets 
the  eye  on  the  sign-board  of  a  wayside  inn; 
while  over  the  way  is  Stapleton,  the  farm 
where  the  famous  old  bull  was  buried. 

Passing  from  the  train  at  Northallerton  and 
mounting  a  trap  in  waiting  we  are  soon  on  a 
perfect  English  roadway  bound  for  one  of  the 

*  The  International  contest  for  the  possession  of  tne  Batea  Duchesses  at 
blow  York  Mills  in  1873,  when  198  head  of  Short-horn  cattle  sold  for  the 
astonishing  total  of  $380,490. 


THE   OLD   SHORT-HORN   COUNTRY,  11 

most  celebrated  seats  of  Short-horn  power. 
Wending  our  way  between  vine-clad  walls  and 
hawthorn  hedges  we  traverse  a  gently-rolling 
Yorkshire  landscape  having  for  a  background 
the  distant  Cleveland  hills.  Lost  in  admira- 
tion at  the  moving  picture,  not  wholly  unlike 
the  fairest  portions  of  the  Blue-Grass  region 
of  Central  Kentucky,  we  presently  sight  "red, 
white  and  roans"  in  all  their  glory,  up  to  their 
knees  in  richest  grass,  on  a  sod  that  represents 
the  growth  of  centuries.  A  Short-horn  enthu- 
siast's heart  beats  high  as  he  here  approaches 
Warlaby  and  passing  through  a  velvety  lawn 
stands  at  the  threshold  so  sacred  to  the  house 
of  Booth.  There  is  a  word  to  conjure  with! 
Redolent  with  its  recollections  of  Crown 
Prince,  Queen  of  the  May,  Nectarine  Blossom, 
Bride  Elect  and  other  names  that  hold  a  place 
in  the  great  galaxy  of  Short-horn  "immortals"! 
"  Many  a  valuable  cup  and  hard-won  medal 
may  there  be  seen.  The  portrait  of  many  a 
prize-taker  decorates  its  rooms;  and  many  a 
pleasant  hour  has  been  spent  and  ancient  story 
told  in  this  quiet  Short-horn  home,  while  the 
genuine  old  squire  'refilled  his  pipe  and  showed 
how  fields  were  won.' ' 

Away  in  the  bleaker  Northland,  far  beyond 
those  beauteous  English  scenes  bounded  by 
"Tweed's  fair  river,  broad  and  deep,"  is  a  Cale- 
donian cottage  hid  away  in  one  of  tha  prettiesl 


12          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

little  gardens  fancy  can  portray.  So  cosily 
does  it  seem  ensconced  that  the  wintry  blasts 
from  the  neighboring  German  ocean  surely 
lose  a  part  of  their  hyperborean  rigor  before 
they  reach  that  quiet  fireside.  We  are  in  far- 
off  Aberdeen.  A  white-haired  octogenarian, 
Amos  Cruickshank,  there  awaited  the  peaceful 
ending  of  a  life  that  proved  eminently  useful 
to  his  fellow  men,  pure  and  elevating  in  its 
character,  and  fruitful  of  results  to  the  Short- 
horn world.  Modestly  the  Nestor  of  North 
Country  cattle-breeding  told  us  something  of 
his  life  and  work.  We  left  him,  the  sage  of 
Sittyton,  standing  there  amidst  the  greenery 
of  his  shrubs  and  flowers,  and  as  we  looked 
around  upon  the  fields  and  paddocks  that  once 
held  Champion  of  England,  Pride  of  the  Isles, 
Roan  Gauntlet  and  Royal  Northern,  and  High- 
land winners  by  the  score,  we  felt  the  spell  of 
a  wondrous  story  brooding  over  those  silent 
Scottish  "braes." 

What  have  these  men,  their  colleagues  and 
their  followers,  accomplished?  What  is  the  na- 
ture of  their  legacy?  Let  us  first  turn  for  par- 
tial answer  to  the  world's  greatest  exhibition 
of  live  stock  and  agricultural  products.  We 
are  under  the  medieval  walls  of  Castle  War- 
wick. The  flower  of  British  Short-horn  herds 
is  assembled  in  the  park.  The  meeting  of 
the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  of  England  is 


THE   OLD   SHORT-HORN   COUNTRY.  13 

in  progress.  The  ripe  fruit  of  generations  of 
careful  breeding  is  before  us.  We  note  the 
size  and  excellence  of  the  various  classes  as 
they  came  forward  upon  that  occasion  to  be 
judged;  the  "bloom"  and  the  wealth  of  flesh 
and  hair!  We  turn  to  our  catalogue.  All 
trace  at  last  to  that  same  little  valley  of  the 
Tees;  some  through  Kirklevington,  some 
through  Warlaby,  some  through  Sittyton,  and 
some  through  other  channels  found  in  the 
broad-flowing  currents  of  the  breed.  The 
crowds  throng  about  the  arena,  where  prince 
and  peasant,  great  land-owners  and  tenant 
farmers  and  visitors  from  every  clime  meet  to 
do  honor  to  England's  most  widely-dissemi- 
nated race  of  domesticated  animals,  and,  indi- 
rectly, to  bear  testimony  to  the  noble  service 
rendered  to  the  cause  of  agriculture  by  the 
builders  of  this  breed. 

A  farmer's  cow. — The  average  farmer,  as 
distinguished  from  the  dairyman  and  profes- 
sional feeder,  maintaining  cattle  as  an  inci- 
dental, albeit  necessary,  feature  of  a  well- 
ordered  system  of  mixed  husbandry,  requires 
not  only  milk,  cream  and  butter  in  good  sup- 
ply for  domestic  consumption,  but  the  cows 
that  provide  him  with  those  products  are  also 
expected  to  raise  a  calf  each  year  that  can  be 
profitably  utilized  in  consuming  the  grass  and 
"roughness"  of  the  farm;  so  that  the  males 


14          A.  HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

will  command  a  fair  price  as  yearlings  and 
two-year-olds  for  feeding  purposes  and  the 
heifers  possess  the  requisite  size  and  quality 
f  tting  them  for  retention  in  the  breeding  herd. 
Hence  the  necessity  for  a  combined  beef-and- 
milk-producing  breed  for  general  farm  pur- 
poses. 

It  is  claimed  by  those  who  support  its  con- 
tentions that  the  .Short-horn  blood  produces 
"the  farmer's  cow" par  excellence  of  the  world. 
The  females  often  reach  in  full  flesh  1,800  Ibs. 
in  weight,  occasionally  making  2,000  Ibs.,  and 
with  good  farm  keep  at  maturity  should  aver- 
age say  1,400  Ibs.  in  working  condition.  Aged 
bulls  in  high  flesh  occasionally  weigh  up  to 
2,800  Ibs.,  but  experienced  breeders  prefer  sires 
that  average  from  2,000  Ibs.  to  2,400  Ibs.,  ex- 
treme weights  not  oeing  generally  favored.  In 
color  they  are  red,  roan,  red  with  white  mark- 
ings or  white.  In  Great  Britain,  the  home  of 
the  breed,  the  roans  predominate.  This  is 
indeed  the  one  distinctive  Short-horn  color, 
never  produced  except  by  the  presence  of  the 
blood  of  this  breed.  In  America  reds  have 
been  in  special  demand  for  some  years  past 
purely  as  a  matter  of  fancy,  although  the  other 
colors — save  perhaps  the  pure  whites — are  also 
seen  in  nearly  every  herd.  Good  Short-horn 
cows  should  yield  a  fair  flow  of  milk  as  well 
as  fatten  readily  when  dry.  The  steers  possess 


THE   OLD  SHORT-HORN  COUNTRY.  15 

smooth,  level  frames,  mature  quickly  on  the 
ordinary  foods  of  the  farm  and  are  in  great 
demand  for  feeding  purposes.  The  bulls 
"cross"  well  upon  cows  of  other  types,  being 
especially  valued  for  leveling  and  refining 
the  form  of  stock  lacking  size,  finish  and 
quality. 

Grass  a  prime  factor  in  cattle-growing. — 
England,  the  home  of  the  Short-horn,  with  its 
moist,  equable  climate,  is  a  veritable  paradise 
for  herbivorous  animals.  During  those  trying 
months  when  American  pastures  lie  brown  and 
bare  under  a  fierce  midsummer  sun  those  of 
England  still  afford  green  feed.  Our  blue-grass 
fields  in  June  are  luxuriant  beyond  compare, 
and  in  late  autumnal  days  usually  regain  for  a 
time  much  of  their  earlier  splendor,  but  the 
season  of  uninterrupted  grazing  in  England  is 
longer  and  the  pastures  carry  a  greater  variety 
of  plants.  While  John  Bull,  therefore,  owes 
much  of  his  fame  as  a  producer  of  the  flesh- 
bearing  breeds  to  the  persistency  of  the  island 
verdure  it  has  remained,  nevertheless,  for  an 
American  to  furnish  agricultural  literature 
with  a  fitting  tribute  to  "the  universal  benefi- 
cence of  grass."  Not  in  the  midst  of  the  peer- 
less pastures  of  old  England,  but  on  the  rolling 
prairies  of  our  own  breezy  "Sunflower  State" 
of  Kansas  Senator  Ingalls  found  his  inspiration. 
"It  yields  no  fruit  in  earth  or  air,  yet  should  its 


16          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

harvest  fail  for  a  single  year  famine  would  de- 
populate the  world/'* 

From  time  immemorial  it  has  been  the  mis- 
sion of  the  herd  and  flock  to  convert  this  rich 
fruitage  of  the  earth  to  the  use  of  man,  and  one 
of  the  crowning  triumphs  of  modern  agriculture 
is  found  in  the  perfection  to  which  domestic  ani- 
mals especially  adapted  to  this  end  have  been 
brought.  England  has  easily  taken  the  lead  of 
all  other  nations  in  this  fascinating  and  emi- 

*  Readers  of  THE  BREEDER'S  GAZETTE  have  often  expressed  the  wish 
that  this  rhetorical  gem  might  be  given  permanent  setting  in  some  form. 
It  was  originally  a  part  of  a  magazine  article  written  by  Mr.  Ingalls  many 
years  ago.  The  much-admired  passage  is  accordingly  given  a  place  here: 

"Next  in  importance  to  the  divine  profusion  of  water,  light  and  air, 
'.hose  three  physical  facts  which  render  existence  possible,  may  be  reck- 
oned the  universal  beneficence  of  grass.  Lying  in  the  sunshine  among  the 
buttercups  and  dandelions  of  May,  scarcely  higher  in  intelligence  than 
those  minute  tenants  of  that  mimic  wilderness,  our  earliest  recollections 
are  of  grass;  and  when  the  fitful  fever  is  ended,  and  the  foolish  wrangle  ct 
the  market  and  the  forum  is  closed,  grass  heals  over  the  scar  which  our 
descent  into  the  bosom  of  the  earth  has  made,  and  the  carpet  of  the  infant 
becomes  the  blanket  of  the  dead. 

"Grass  is  the  forgiveness  of  Nature— her  constant  benediction.  Fields 
trampled  with  battle,  saturated  with  blood,  torn  with  the  ruts  of  cannon, 
rr?w  green  again  with  grass,  and  carnage  is  forgotten.  Streets  abandoned 
by  traffic  become  grass-grown,  like  rural  lanes,  and  are  obliterated.  For- 
ests decay,  harvests  perish,  flowers  vanish,  but  grass  is  immortal.  Be- 
teagured  by  the  sullen  hosts  of  winter  it  withdraws  into  the  impregnable 
fortress  of  its  subterranean  vitality  and  emerges  upon  the  solicitation  of 
spring.  Sown  by  the  winds,  by  wandering  birds,  propagated  by  the  subtle 
horticulture  of  the  elements  which  are  its  ministers  and  servants,  it 
softens  the  rude  outlines  of  the  world.  It  evades  the  solitude  of  deserts, 
climbs  the  inaccessible  slopes  and  pinnacles  of  mountains,  and  modifies 
the  history,  character  and  destiny  of  nations.  Unobtrusive  and  patient,  it 
has  immortal  vigor  and  aggression.  Banished  from  the  thoroughfare  and 
fields,  it  bides  its  time  to  return,  and  when  vigilance  is  relaxed  or  the 
dynasty  has  perished  it  silently  resumes  the  throne  from  which  it  has  been 
expelled  but  which  it  never  abdicates.  It  bears  no  blazonry  of  bloom  to 
charm  the  senses  with  fragrance  or  splendor,  but  its  homely  hue  is  more 
enchanting  than  the  lily  or  the  rose.  It  yields  no  fruit  in  earth  or  air,  yet 
should  its  harvest  fail  for  a  single  year  famine  would  depopulate  the 
world." 


THE   OLD   SHORT-HORN   COUNTRY.  17 

nently  practical  pursuit,  and  in  the  Short-horn 
breed  of  cattle  has  given  to  the  world  a  vari- 
ety of  farm  stock  that  has  probably  been  more 
widely  distributed  than  any  other  known  type. 
It  has  not  only  received  by  reason  of  its  dual- 
purpose  character  more  attention  at  the  hands 
of  the  tenant  farmers  and  landed  proprietors 
of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland  than  any  other 
British  breed,  but  has  a  firm  hold  upon  the  affec- 
tions of  the  farmers  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada  under  varying  environments.  It  has 
been  extensively  introduced  into  Australia  and 
Argentina  and  has  a  foothold  in  the  grazing 
regions  about  the  South  African  Cape.  Conti- 
nental Europe  with  all  its  conservatism  has 
drawn  frequently  upon  British  Short-horn 
herds — France  in  particular  maintaining  good 
collections  of  registered  stock.  It  has  peculiar 
claims,  therefore,  to  the  title  sometimes  be- 
stowed upon  it  as  being  "  the  one  great  cosmo- 
politan breed." 

Birthplace  and  origin  of  the  breed. — The 
Short-horn— or  "Durham"  as  formerly  called 
by  many  farmers  in  the  United  States— is  of 
composite  origin,  representing  the  result  of 
generations  of  skillful  blending  of  various  ab- 
original types.  While  its  long  period  of  incu- 
bation is  shrouded  in  more  or  less  uncertainty 
there  is  no  question  either  as  to  its  original 
habitat  or  its  ancient  lineage.  Traditions,  as 


18          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

well  as  authentic  records,  recognized  the  pro- 
genitors of  the  modern  type  in  the  Counties  of 
Northumberland,  Durham,  York  and  Lincoln 
for  several  centuries  prior  to  the  final  crystal- 
lization of  the  breed  in  and  about  the  Tees- 
water  Valley.    So  much  of  a  speculative  char- 
acter has  been  published  relating  to  the  grad- 
ual evolution  in  Northeastern  England  of  the 
established  type  of  which  we  write  that  it  is 
not  essential,  nor  would  it  be  of  any  special 
profit,  for  us  to  undertake  to  travel  extensively 
over  that  uncertain  ground  in  this  volume. 
For  centuries  it  is  said  that  Northern  England 
was  the  home* of  a  horned  black  breed,  and 
black  cattle  predominated  in  Yorkshire   and 
adjacent  counties  until  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury.   At  this  date  two  other  well-known  types 
existed  in  England,  the  apied"  cattle  of  Lin- 
colnshire, with  "more  white  than  other  colors," 
and  the  red  stock  of  Somerset  and  Gloucester- 
shire.   By  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, although  the  Yorkshire  cattle  were  still 
largely  black,   mixed  colors  began  to  make 
their  appearance.     "But  of  all  the  cows  in 
England,"  wrote  William  Ellis  in  1744,  "I  think 
none  comes  up  to  the  Holderness  breed  for 
their  wide  bags,  short  horns  and  large  bodies, 
which  render  them  (whether  black  or  red)  the 
most  profitable  beasts  for  the  dairyman,  grazier 
and  butcher.    Some  of  them  have  yielded  two 


THE   OLD   SHORT-HORN   COUNTRY.  19 

or  three  gallons  at  a  meal."  This  type  took  its 
name  from  the  district  of  Holderness  in  South- 
eastern Yorkshire,  About  this  time  cattle  were 
imported  from  continental  Europe  into  the 
Eastern  counties.  These  consisted  chiefly  of 
large  white  Dutch  or  Flanders  cows.  It  is  also 
said  that  bulls  were  brought  in  from  Holland 
and  used  on  some  of  the  herds  of  York  and 
Durham.  These  Dutch  cattle  should  not,  how- 
ever, be  confused  with  the  modern  Holstein- 
Friesians.  It  is  said  that  Michael  Dobinson 
and  Sir  William  St.  Quintin— both  of  whom 
were  among  the  earliest  possessors  of  old-time 
short-horned  herds — imported  and  used  Dutch 
bulls.  These  various  types  were  all  of  a  very 
crude  sort  when  contrasted  with  the  breed 
finally  evolved  from  them,  and  as  we  are  more 
interested  in  the  result  than  in  speculation  as 
to  the  remote  origin  of  the  race  we  need  not 
dwell  upon  them. 

Earliest  known  breeders. — It  is  claimed  that 
a  short-horned  type  of  cattle  existed  on  the 
Yorkshire  estates  of  the  Earls  and  Dulies  of 
Northumberland  for  a  period  of  two  hundred 
years  prior  to  1780.  Herds  of  short-horned 
stock  had  also  been  in  the  possession  of  the 
Smithsons  of  Stan  wick  as  early  as  the  middle 
of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  Aislabies  of 
Studley  Royal  and  Blacketts  of  Newby  were 
likewise  fond  of  good  cattle  and  paid  great  at- 


20          A  HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

tention  to  the  quality  of  their  herds  about  this 
same  period.  Other  prominent  breeders  prior 
to  the  year  1780  were  Sir  William  St.  Quintin, 
Sir  James  Pennyman*  and  Mr.  Milbank  of 
Barningham.  The  latter  secured  some  of  his 
cattle  from  the  Blacketts,  but  his  reputation 
rests  largely  upon  his  use  of  the  famous  red- 
and-white  Studley  Bull  (626),  calved  in  1737, 
that  became  the  progenitor  of  many  celebrated 
animals.  Between  the  years  1730  and  1780 
many  eminent  breeders  gave  their  attention  to 
the  improvement  of  their  cattle,  among  them, 
besides  those  already  mentioned,  being  Sharter, 
Pickering,  Stephenson,  Wetherell,  Maynard, 
Dobinson,  Charge,  Wright,  Hutchinson,  Robson, 
Snowdon,  Waistell,  Richard  and  William  Bar- 
ker, Brown,  Hall,  Hill,  Best,  Watson,  Baker, 
Thompson,  Jackson,  Smith,  Jolly,  Masterman, 
Wallace  and  Robertson.  These  names  we  find 
as  breeders  of  the  earliest  cattle  whose  names 
and  pedigrees  are  recorded  in  the  first  volume 
of  the  English  Herd  Book.  It  may  be  well  to 
know  that  as  this  herd  book  was  not  published 
until  the  year  1822 — some  thirty  or  forty  years 

*  To  induce  his  tenants  to  pay  more  attention  to  the  quality  of  their 
stock  Sir  James  is  said  to  have  frequently  made  small  wagers  as  to  whose 
oxen  would  weigh  the  most  and  bring  the  best  prices.  Cadwallader  Bates 
says:  "The  farm  accounts  commencing  from  1745  regularly  recorded  the 
sales  of  Pennyman  Short-horns,  with  their  weight  and  proof  in  tallow,  for 
they  were  very  often  sold  by  weight.  As  the  soil  there  is  a  strong  clay  no 
turnips  were  grown,  and  the  cattle  were  kept  in  winter  on  only  hay  and 
straw.  Notwithstanding  this,  the  five-year-old  steers  generally  averaged 
about  1,960  IDS." 


THE   OLD   SHORT-HORN  COUNTRY.  21 

after  the  decease  of  many  of  those  we  have 
mentioned — tradition,  and  the  memory  of  men 
then  living,  as  well  as  the  written  records  of 
their  predecessors,  were  the  authorities  on 
which  the  lineage  of  the  earlier  animals  were 
admitted  to  record. 

Some  foundation  stock, — The  Studley  Bull 
(626),  dropped  in  1737,  was  one  of  the  first  great 
stock-getters  of  the  breed  of  which  there  is 
record.  The  herd  book  furnishes  no  particu- 
lars concerning  him,  but  he  is  described  by 
competent  contemporary  authority  as  having 
been  a  red-and-white  "  possessed  of  wonderful 
girth  and  depth  of  forequarters,  very  short, 
neat  frame  and  light  offal."  One  of  his  sons, 
"Mr.  Lakeland's  bull,"  said  to  have  attained 
great  size  and  to  have  carried  a  good  back, 
begot  William  Barker's  Bull  (51),  that  acquired 
reputation  as  the  sire  of  another  one  of  the 
breed-founders  known  as  "James  Brown's  Red 
Bull  (97)."  This  noted  bull  was  bred  by  John 
Thompson  of  Girlington  Hall.  At  this  date  it 
was  not  customary  to  preserve  the  name  or 
even  a  description  of  the  cows  from  which 
sires  in  service  were  descended.  The, pedigree 
was  traced  through  the  bull  line  exclusively. 
Hence  there  is  no  record  as  to  the  maternal 
ancestry  of  these  foundation  sires.  Mr.  Coates, 
who  collected  the  material  for  the  first  volume 
of  the  herd  book,  which  still  bears  his  name, 


22          A   HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

had  intended  that  a  description  of  the  most 
noted  animals  should  appear  in  the  public  reg- 
istry. Although  this  plan  was  not  adopted  in 
the  final  revision  of  the  book  his  notes  on  many 
of  the  earlier  sires  have  nevertheless  been  pre- 
served. From  these  it  appears  that "  J.  Brown's 
old  red  bull"  had  "good  fore  quarters  and 
handle,*  huggins  and  rumps  not  good,  strong 
thighs,  excellent  getter."  The  progeny  of  this 
bull  was  apparently  held  in  great  esteem,  and 
some  of  his  daughters  subsequently  attained 
much  reputation,  one  becoming  the  ancestress 
of  the  afterwards  celebrated  Bates  Duchess 
tribe,  and  another  was  the  ancestral  dam  of 
Eobert  Colling's  old  Red  Rose  sort. 

The  most  famous  of  all  the  foundation  bulls, 
however,  was  Hubback  (319),  his  influence  hav- 
ing been  so  great  as  to  require  special  comment 
in  these  pages  further  on.  Many  bulls  are  re- 
corded in  the  first  volume  of  the  English  Herd 
Book  that  lived  anterior  to  the  year  1780,  but 
aside  from  their  names  and  that  of  a  sire,  and 
sometimes  a  grandsire,  little  or  nothing  seems 
to  have  been  recorded  of  their  ancestry,  and 
nothing  beyond  can  now  be  known  of  them. 
Among  these,  in  addition  to  those  already 
named,  are  Ralph  Alcock's  Bull  (19),  Allison's 
Gray  Bull  (26),  J.  Brown's  White  Bull  (98),  Hol- 
lon's  Bull  (313),  Jolly's  Bull  (337),  Kitt  (357), 

*  This  refers  evidently  to  his  "  touch,"  as  the  handling-  qualities  of  breed- 
ins  stock  were  carefully  regarded  by  the  original  improvers  of  the  breed. 


THE   OLD   SHORT-HORN   COUNTRY.  23 

Masterman's  Bull  (422),  Paddock's  Bull  (477), 
William  Robson's  Bull  (538),  Sir  James  Penny- 
man's  Bull  (601),  Jacob  Smith's  Bull  (508),  T. 
Smith's  Bull  (609),  Snowdon's  Bull  (612),  sire  of 
Hubback  (319);  Studley  White  Bull  (627),  got 
by  Studley  Bull  (626);  Waistell's  Bull  (669),  the 
same  as  Robson's  Bull  (558) ;  and  Walker's  Bull 
(670),  the  same  as  Masterman's  Bull  (422),  by 
Studley  Bull  (626). 

Of  the  cows  contemporary  with  the  bulls  we 
have  named  few,  if  any,  are  recorded  in  either 
the  first  or  subsequent  volumes.  We  can, 
therefore,  only  infer  that  the  cows  were  equally 
as  well  and  carefully  bred  as  the  bulls.  Cattle 
fairs  (not  shows  in  the  sense  of  our  modern  ex- 
hibitions), where  beasts  were  taken  to  market 
for  sale,  were  then,  as  now,  common  in  Eng- 
land, and  probably  many  well-bred  cows  and 
heifers  were  brought  there  for  sale  by  their 
breeders  and  owners.  These  were  doubtless 
taken  by  breeders  of  good  cattle  when  the  blood 
and  quality  were  considered  satisfactory  and 
bred  to  the  best  bulls.  From  such  market 
cows  descended  the  more  immediate  ancestors 
of  many  celebrated  Short-horns.  It  is  no  dis- 
paragement to  those  nameless  cows  that  such 
is  the  fact,  as  very  few  pedigrees  can  now  be 
traced  by  name  on  the  female  side  beyond  the 
year  1780,  and  but  comparatively  few  beyond 
the  year  1800. 


24          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

The  earliest  recorded  pedigree  in  the  female 
line  known  to  Short-horn  records  is  that  which 
has  long  been  referred  to  in  England  and 
America  as  the  Princess  family,  tracing  to  the 
cow  Tripes,  bought  by  Thomas  Hall  in  1760. 


CHAPTER    II. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  IMPROVED  TYPE. 

The  attention  given  by  the  sturdy  tenantry 
of  the  Teeswater  country  to  the  production  of 
a  superior  grade  of  beef  at  this  early  date,  as 
indicated  by  the  roster  of  names  set  forth  in 
the  preceding  chapter,  was  the  response  of 
the  farmers  of  that  district  to  the  demands  of 
Anglo-Saxon  taste.  On  the  opposite  or  conti- 
nental shore  of  the  German  Ocean  dairy  prod- 
ucts were  esteemed  an  especial  delicacy;  and 
so  the  low  countries  gradually  became  the 
home  of  what  subsequently  developed  into  the 
Holstein-Friesian  breed.  But  the  fox-hunting 
Yorkshire  "squires,"  and  the  bon  vivants  of 
"  merrie  England  "  generally,  demanded  some- 
thing more  substantial  at  their  banquet  boards. 
Rich  "  barons "  of  well-marbled  beef  appealed 
particularly  to  the  palates  of  the  hearty  Brit- 
ons, and  right  royally  did  the  stock-growers  of 
the  Island  meet  the  call.  Widespread  interest 
in  the  breeding  of  fine  cattle  developed.  At 
Darlington,  Durham  Yarm  and  other  central 
points  market  fairs,  the  forerunners  of  our 

(35) 


26          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

modern  shows,  had  begun  to  attract  all  the 
progressive  farmers,  feeders  and  graziers  of  the 
country-side  both  far  and  near.  Each  of  those 
who  took  pride  in  cattle  vied  with  the  other  in 
the  exhibition  of  good  specimens  of  the  Tees- 
water  type;  and  we  can  easily  imagine  with 
what  absorbing  interest  these  breed-builders 
compared  the  relative  merits  of  their  stock 
and  with  what  satisfaction  they  noted  the  prog- 
ress being  made.  Herd  books  were  not  in  ex- 
istence. Blood  lines  were  known  only  by  word 
of  mouth  or  by  sundry  traditions;  but  they 
were  a  superior  class  of  men,  these  pioneers  in 
the  study  of  the  Jaws  of  heredity  as  applied  to 
animal  life,  and  their  local  fairs  were  at  once  a 
forum  and  a  market-place.  Short-horn  "par- 
liaments," far-reaching  in  their_  influence,  as- 
sembled upon  these  occasions,  frequently  with 
some  favorite  bull  or  heifer  as  the  storm  cen- 
ter of  debate.  Then,  as  now,  men  differed  as 
to  the  form  of  animals  and  methods  of  breed- 
ing to  be  pursued.  There  were  few  if  any 
servile  imitators.  There  was  no  established 
type  or  fashion  to  rule  the  hour.  It  was  the 
formative  stage  in  the  evolution  of  the  Short- 
horn as  known  to  the  succeeding  generation, 
and  each  individual  sought  results  largely  after 
the  dictates  of  his  own  personal  judgment. 
Would  that  some  of  this  same  independence  of 
thought  and  action  might  be  brought  to  bear 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE   IMPROVED   TYPE.       27 

in  the  settlement  of  problems  facing  those 
who  are  endeavoring  to  perpetuate  Short-horn 
characteristics  at  the  present  time! 

Faults  of  the  old  Teeswater  stock.— The 
Short-horn  of  that  day  was  not  only  lacking  in 
uniformity  in  some  essential  points  but  as  a 
breed  possessed  serious  faults  calling  for  radi- 
cal treatment.  Possibly  as  accurate  a  state- 
ment as  has  been  handed  down  bearing  upon 
the  character  of  the  old  Teeswater  stock,  which 
formed  the  basis  of  "the  improved  Short-horn," 
is  that  of  William  Carr,  the  historian  of  the 
afterward-celebrated  herds  of  the  Messrs. 
Booth.  He  says  that  the  best  specimens  of 
the  breed  at  that  time  were  "  generally  wide- 
backed,  well-framed  cows,  deep  in  their  fore 
quarters,  soft  and  mellow  in  their  hair  and 
'  handling '  and  possessing,  with  average  milk- 
ing qualities,  a  remarkable  disposition  to  fat- 
ten. Their  horns  were  rather  longer  than 
those  of  their  descendants  of  the  present  day 
and  inclining  upward.  The  defects  were  those 
of  an  undue  prominence  of  the  hip  and  shoul- 
der point,  a  want  of  length  in  the  hind  quar- 
ters, of  width  in  the  floor  of  the  chest,  of 
fullness  generally  before  and  behind  the  shoul- 
ders, as  well  as  of  flesh  upon  the  shoulder 
itself.  They  had  a  somewhat  disproportionate 
abdomen,  were  too  long  in  the  legs  and  showed 
a  want  of  substance,  indicative  of  delicacy,  in 


28  A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

the  hide.  They  failed  also  in  the  essential 
requisite  of  taking  on  their  flesh  evenly  and 
firmly  over  the  whole  frame,  which  frequently 
gave  them  an  unlevel  appearance.  There  was, 
moreover,  a  general  want  of  compactness  in 
their  conformation." 

The  Bakewell  Experiments. — Robert  Bake- 
well  of  Dishley,  a  Leicestershire  farmer,  worked 
out  about  this  period  a  system  of  stock-breed- 
ing that  was  destined  to  play  henceforth  a 
prominent  part,  not  only  in  the  development 
of  the  Short-horn  but  in  the  evolution  of  nearly 
all  our  other  improved  breeds  as  well.  What- 
ever may  have  been  the  practice  of  the  ancients 
in  respect  to  the  coupling  of  animals  closely 
related  it  remained  for  Bakewell  to  demon- 
strate to  the  stock-breeders  of  the  last  century 
that  in  the  concentration  of  the  blood  of 
animals  possessing  desired  characteristics  a 
method  was  provided  whereby  results  could  be 
quickly  and  definitely  attained.  This  idea  was 
diametrically  opposed  to  the  principles  and 
practice  governing  the  operations  of  BakewelPs 
contemporaries.  Incestuous  breeding  of  ani- 
mals was  held  in  abhorrence,  and  when  Bake- 
well  began  breeding  long-wooled  sheep,  Lan- 
cashire Long-horned  cattle  and  cart  horses  from 
close  affinities  his  neighbors  gave  him  credit  for 
being  somewhat  daft.  He  was  a  man  of  con- 
siderable means  at  the  beginning  of  his  experi- 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE   IMPROVED   TYPE.       29 

ments,  and  brought  more  or  less  scientific 
knowledge  to  bear  upon  his  work.  His  system 
contemplated  first  the  selection  of  foundation 
stock  approximating  in  form  and  character  as 
closely  as  possible  the  type  he  sought  to  estab- 
lish. With  these  as  a  basis  their  immediate 
descendants  were  interbred  in  such  a  way  as  to 
give  a  strong  concentration  of  the  blood  of  the 
original  selections.  The  idea  was  of  course  the 
creation  of  a  family  likeness  or  type — a  group 
of  animals  homogeneous  in  blood  and  uniform 
in  characteristics.  Resort  to  fresh  blood  was 
only  had  when  an  animal  was  found  elsewhere 
that  possessed  in  marked  degree  as  an  individ- 
ual the  particular  points  desired.  The  plan 
soon  began  to  reveal  marvelous  results,  and 
orders  for  breeding  stock  began  to  come  from, 
all  parts  of  the  island.  King  George  III  him- 
self made  personal  inquiries  as  to  "  the  new  dis- 
covery "  in  stock-breeding,  and  about  the  time 
the  early  Short-horn  breeders  became  specially 
interested  in  their  work  the  Bakewell  system 
was  arousing  much  curiosity,  even  among  those 
conservatives  who  had  stoutly  opposed  the 
theory. 

Bakewell  did  not  use  Short-horns  in  his  ex- 
periments. He  kept  a  few  of  the  old  sort,  it  is 
said,  merely  to  show  by  contrast  the  superior- 
ity of  his  new  breed  of  Long-horns.  While  he 
achieved  a  permanent  success  with  his  sheep 


30          A   HISTORY   OP   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  Long-horns  were  not  destined  to  general 
popularity.  The  method  employed  in  fixing 
the  type,  however,  was  soon  seized  upon  by 
some  of  the  younger  element  in  the  Short-horn 
breeding  ranks,  and  with  wonderful  effect,  as 
we  will  now  proceed  to  note. 

Ketton  and  Barmpton. — About  three  miles 
northeast  of  Darlington,  in  the  county  of  Dur- 
ham, overlooking  a  little  stream  that  flows  into 
the  Tees  at  Croft,  is  the  farm  of  Barmpton,  and 
about  a  mile  beyond  is  Ketton.  Upon  these 
two  farms  the  modern  Short-horn  may  be  said 
to  have  had  its  origin.  Charles  Colling  Sr., 
father  of  Charles  and  Robert,  the  first  great 
improvers  of  the  breed,  had  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  a  Short-horn  herd  at  Ketton  Farm  by 
the  purchase  of  a  cow  called  Cherry  at  Yarm 
Fair,  but  finding  farming  unprofitable  at  this 
time  he  gave  up  the  property  to  his  son  Charles. 
The  brothers  set  about  breeding  Short-horns  at 
a  time  when  values  of  farm  products  in  Eng- 
land were  much  depressed.  The  American 
Revolution  had  just  been  terminated,  and,  in 
common  with  all  other  farm  property  in  great 
Britain,  cattle  were  still  feeling  the  demoraliz- 
ing effects  of  war. 

The  original  Duchess  cow. — Charles  Colling 
had  heard  of  Bakewell  and  his  work  and  in 
1783  made  a  prolonged  study,  at  Dishley,  of 
the  theory  and  practice  of  in-and-in  or  "close" 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE   IMPROVED   TYPE.       31 

breeding.  In  June  of  the  following  year  he 
bought  in  Darlington  market  a  cow  which  he 
named  Duchess  that  gave  rise  to  the  family 
that  afterward  became  the  subject  of  the  wild- 
est cattle  speculation  known  in  all  the  annals 
of  English  or  American  agriculture.  She  was 
bought  from  Thomas  Appleby,  a  tenant  farmer 
on  the  Stanwick  estate  of  Sir  Hugh  Smithson, 
afterward  created  Duke  of  Northumberland. 
As  already  stated,  the  Stanwick  herds  had  been 
celebrated  locally  from  a  very  ancient  period. 
This  primal  Duchess  was  described  as  "  a  mas- 
sive, short-legged  animal  of  a  beautiful  yellow- 
red  flecked  color;  her  breast  was  near  the 
ground  and  her  back  wide.  She  was,  too,  a 
great  grower.  Mr.  Colling  considered  her  han- 
dling very  superior,  and  no  one  was  a  better 
judge.  He  even  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  he 
considered  her  the  best  cow  he  ever  had  or  ever 
saw,  and  confessed  that  he  could  never  breed 
as  good  a  one  from  her,  even  from  his  best 
bulls,  which  improved  all  his  other  cattle." 
This  fine  cow  cost  but  thirteen  pounds  sterling. 
About  the  same  date  Charles  Colling  bought  a 
cow  named  Daisy  said  to  have  been  descended 
from  Masterman's  Bull  and  belonging  to  a  fam- 
ily of  cows  noted  for  their  milking  properties. 
Moreover,  it  was  said  that  she  was  "  very  neat 
in  shape  and  very  inclinable  to  make  fat." 
"The  Beautiful  Lady  Maynard."— In  1786 


32          A  HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Gabriel  Thornton,  who  had  lived  with  Mr.  May- 
nard  of  Eryholme  as  bailiff  for  some  ten  years, 
entered  Charles  Colling's  service.  The  quality 
of  the  Eryholme  cattle  naturally  came  under 
consideration,  and  in  September  of  that  year 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  Colling  rode  over  to  Mr. 
Maynard's  to  inspect  the  herd.*  Their  atten- 
tion was  at  once  claimed  by  a  handsome  seven- 
year-old  cow  then  called  Favorite  "that  Miss 
Maynard  was  milking."  This  cow  was  a  roan 
possessing  the  long  horns  of  the  old  Teeswater 
type  and  came  from  a  well-established  tribe. 
She  was  bought  for  twenty-eight  guineas,  and 
Mr.  Colling  agreed  also  to  take  her  heifer  calf— 
that  received  the  name  of  Young  Strawberry 
and  was  sired  by  Dalton  Duke  (188) — at  ten 
guineas.  At  the  time  of  this  purchase  the 
cow  was  again  in  calf  to  Dalton  Duke  and  gave 
birth  to  a  bull  to  that  service  at  Ketton  in  1787. 
The  name  of  this  cow,  the  most  celebrated  of 
all  the  early  matrons  of  the  breed,  was  changed 
by  Mr.  Colling  to  Lady  Maynard.  She  became 
the  ancestress  of  several  famous  families  and 
of  the  bulls  that  fairly  created  "  the  improved 
Short-horn." 

The  Bull  Hubback.— While  Charles  Colling 
was  making  these  purchases  of  foundation 
stock  his  brother  Kobert  was  not  idle.  The 

*  It  is  said  that  Mrs.  Colling  was  quite  as  much  interested  in  cattle- 
breeding  as  her  husband,  and  having  no  children  she  had  leisure  to  indulge 
ber  love  for  the  stock. 


DEVELOPMENT    OF    THE   IMPROVED   TYPE.       38 

author  of  one  of  the  latest  English  contribu- 
tions to  Short-horn  literature*  asserts  that 
in  Duchess,  Cherry,  Daisy  and  Lady  Maynard 
Charles  Colling  was  possessed  of  "  the  four  best 
short-horned  cows  in  existence."  Robert  Col- 
ling had  bought  with  judgment  from  such  good 
herds  as  those  of  Messrs.  Milbank,  Hill,  Watson, 
Wright,  Sir  William  St.  Quintin  and  Best,  all 
of  whom  were  known  to  possess  fine  cattle,  and 
in  the  case  of  the  selection  and  use  of  the  cele- 
brated bull  Hubback  Robert  seems  to  have 
shown  rather  more  discernment  than  Charles. 
There  is  no  gainsaying  the  far-reaching  influ- 
ence of  the  blood  of  this  bull  as  a  factor  in  the 
improvement  of  the  breed.  Indeed  some  credit 
him  with  being  the  one  real  fountain  head  of 
modern  Short-horn  excellence.  The  testimony 
of  Thomas  Bates  (one  of  the  most  distinguished 
of  all  those  who  followed  Colling,  and  of  whom 
we  shall  speak  more  at  length  later  on)  was 
particularly  radical  upon  this  proposition.  He 
said: 

"  It  was  the  opinion  of  all  good  judges  in  my  early  days  that 
had  it  not  been  for  the  bull  Hubback  and  his  descendants  the  old, 
valuable  breed  of  Short-horns  would  have  been  entirely  lost,  and 
that  where  Hubback's  blood  was  wanting  they  had  no  real  merit, 
and  no  stock  ought  to  have  been  put  in  any  herd  book  of  Short- 
horns which  had  not  Hubback's  blood  in  their  veins.  Had  this 
been  done,  then  the  Herd  Book  of  Short-horns  would  have  been  a 
valuable  record ;  as  it  is,  it  is  undeserving  of  notice,  and  ought  no 
longer  to  be  continued  as  a  book  of  reference,  as  ninety-nine  ani- 
mals out  of  a  hundred  in  Coates'  Herd  Book  should  never  have 
been  entered  there." 

•Cadwallader  John  Bates  of  Langley  Castle,  Northumberland. 
3 


34  A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Mr.  Bates  may  be  called  a  prejudiced  wit- 
ness. He  was  a  man  of  very  decided  convic- 
tions; dogmatic  to  the  last  degree.  While  it  is 
not  probable  that  Hubback  held,  Atlas-like,  in 
his  day  the  whole  future  of  the  breed  upon  his 
shoulders  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  imparted 
a  quality  and  refinement  of  character  that  had 
been  comparatively  rare  prior  to  his  appear- 
ance. 

Short-horn  history  abounds  in  cases  where 
outstanding  merit  has  failed  of  adequate  ap- 
preciation, but  the  story  of  Hubback,  summar- 
ized below,  probably  surpasses  all  others  of 
its  class.*  He  was  thus  described  by  Coates: 
"  Head  good,  horns  small  and  fine,  neck  fine, 
breast  well  formed  and  fine  to  the  touch,  shoul- 

*  John  Hunter,  the  breeder  of  Hubback,  was  a  brick-layer  and  lived  at 
Hurworth.  He  had  once  been  a  tenant  farmer  and  bred  Short-horn  cattle 
which,  when  leaving  his  farm  to  live  at  Hurworth,  he  sold  all  off, 
excepting  one  choice  little  cow  he  took  with  him,  and  as  he  had  no  pasture 
of  his  own  for  her  to  graze  in  she  ran  in  the  lanes  of  the  town.  While 
there  she  was  put  to  "George  Snowdon's  Bull,"  also  in  Hurworth.  From 
him  the  cow  dropped  a  bull  calf.  Soon  afterward  the  cow  and  calf  were 
driven  to  Darlington  market  and  there  sold  to  a  Mr.  Bassnett,  a  timber 
merchant.  Bassnett  retained  the  cow  but  sold  the  calf  to  a  blacksmith  at 
Hornby,  five  miles  out  from  Darlington.  The  dam  of  the  calf  taking-  on 
flesh  readily  would  not  again  breed  and  after  some  months  was  fattened 
and  slaughtered.  Growing  to  a  useful  age,  the  young  bull  in  1783  was  found, 
at  six  years  old,  in  the  haads  of  a  Mr.  Fawcett,  living  at  Haughton  Hill, 
not  far  from  Darlington. 

Mr.  Wright  (a  noted  Short-horn  breeder)  says  that  Charles  Colling, 
going  into  Darlington  market  weekly,  used  to  notice  some  excellent  veal, 
and  upon  inquiry  ascertained  that  the  calves  were  got  by  a  bull  belonging 
to  Mr.  Fawcett  of  Haughton  Hill.  This  bull,  then  known  as  Fawcett's  Bull, 
and  some  years  afterwards  called  Hubback,  was  at  the  time  serving  cows 
at  a  shilling  each  (about  twenty-five  cents).  Charles  Colling,  however,  as 
the  merits  of  the  beast  were  talked  over  between  himself  and  others,  did 
not  appear  particularly  impressed  with  them.  But  Robert  Colling  and  his 
neighbor,  Mr.  Waistell  of  All-hill,  who  had  also  seen  the  Dull,  thought  bet- 
ter of  him  and  more  accurately  measured  his  value.  The  two,  soon  after 


DEVELOPMENT    OF    THE   IMPROVED   TYPE.       35 

ders  rather  upright,  girth  good,  loins,  belly  and 
sides  fair,  rump  and  hips  extraordinary,  flank 
and  twist  wonderful."  He  was  a  yellow-red 
with  some  white,  calved  in  1777.  He  was  got 
by  Snowdon's  Bull  (612),  he  by  Waistell's  Bull 
(558),  he  by  Masterman's  Bull  (422),  son  of 
Studley  Bull  (626).  His  dam  was  out  of  a  cow 
bred  by  Mr.  Stephenson  of  Ketton  "from  a 
tribe  in  his  possession  forty  years."  It  was  at 
one  time  alleged  that  there  was  Kyloe  (West 
Highland)  blood  in  Hubback's  veins  on  his 
dam's  side,  but  this  is  not  substantiated.  Rob- 
ert Colling  used  Hubback  for  a  time  and  then 
sold  him  to  his  brother  Charles,  who  kept  him 
in  service  two  seasons,  after  which  he  was  sold, 
at  ten  years  of  age,  to  Mr.  Hubback,  in  whose 
hands  he  remained  up  to  his  death  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  years.  It  appears  that  neither 
Waistell  nor  either  of  the  Collings  truly  appre- 
ciated the  merits  of  Hubback  until  after  they 
had  parted  with  him  and  saw  the  excellence  of 
his  stock  as  they  grew  up  and  developed.  He 
was  a  small  bull — his  dam  was  small  for  a 


Good  Friday,  in  April,  1783,  bought  him  of  Mr.  Fawcett  for  ten  guineas 
(about  $50)  and  took  him  home,  where  he  was  jointly  owned  and  used  to 
their  separate  herds,  Colling  having  seventeen  and  Waistell  eleven  cows 
served  by  him  during  the  season.  In  the  following  November  (1783)  Charles 
Colling,  having  changed  his  opinion  of  the  merits  of  the  bull,  offered  his 
owners  eight  guineas  (about  $40)  for  him,  and  they  sold  him. 

Charles  Colling  kept  the  bull  two  years,  using  him  freely  in  his  herd, 
and  then  sold  him  late  in  1785,  at  ten  years  old,  to  a  Mr.  Hubback,  at  North 
Seton,  in  Northumberland.  The  bull  had  no  name  when  Colling  sold  him. 
Mr.  Hubback  used  him  (the  bull  then  being  called  Hubback's  Bull)  until  the 
year  1791,  when  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  and  he  was  vigorous  to  the  last. 


36          A  HISTOEY  OF  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

Short-horn,  but  a  very  handsome  cow,  of  fine 
symmetry,  with  a  nice  touch  and  fine,  long, 
mossy  hair.  All  these  choice  qualities  Hub- 
back  took  from  her.  As  size  was  a  meritorious 
point  in  Short- horns  at  that  time  it  is  highly 
probable  that  the  Collings  discarded  him  for 
that  deficiency  more  than  any  other.  Yet  the 
subsequent  reputation  of  Hubback  among  the 
breeders  was  higher  than  that  of  any  other 
bull  of  his  time,  and  it  was  considered  a  great 
merit  in  any  Short-horn  which  could  trace  its 
pedigree  back  into  his  blood,  which  no  doubt 
could  be  easily  done,  as  he  was,  both  before 
and  after  the  Collings  owned  him,  open  to  the 
public  at  a  cheap  rate  of  service.  It  is  said 
that  his  stock  had  capacious  chests,  prominent 
bosoms,  thick,  mossy  coats,  mellow  skins,  with 
a  great  deal  of  fine  flesh  spread  evenly  over 
the  whole  carcass.  Mr.  Bates  stated  that  Hub- 
back  had  "  clean,  waxy  horns,  mild,  bright  eyes, 
a  pleasing  countenance  and  was  one  of  the 
most  remarkably  quick  feeders  ever  known. 
He  retained  his  soft  and  downy  coat  long  into 
the  summer.  His  handling  was  superior  to 
that  of  any  bull  of  the  day." 

Foljambe  and  inbreeding. — Among  other 
good  heifers  left  at  Ketton  by  Hubback  was 
one  called  Haughton,  said  to  have  been  "fine 
and  neat."  Mr.  Colling  had  apparently  not  a 
high  enough  opinion  of  Hubback  at  that  time, 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE   IMPROVED   TYPE.       37 

however,  to  go  to  the  extreme  of  Bakewell's 
system  and  breed  her  back  to  her  sire,  for  he 
sent  her  to  be  bred  to  Richard  Barker's  Bull 
(52),  "a  large,  well-shaped,  but  coarse,  wiry- 
haired  beast  with  a  black  nose."  The  produce 
was  the  noted  bull  Foljambe  (263),  a  white  with 
a  few  red  spots,  that  seems  to  have  combined 
some  of  the  good  points  of  both  sire  and  dam. 
He  was  a  big,  wide-backed,  "thick  beast  of 
great  substance,"  inheriting  scale  and  constitu- 
tion from  his  sire  and  some  of  Hubback's  good 
handling  quality  from  his  dam.  Although  sold 
as  a  young  bull  at  fifty  guineas  Foljambe  was 
used  upon  some  of  Colling's  best  cows?  among 
others  the  rich  red-roan  Lady  Maynard,  the 
produce  being  a  heifer  called  Phoenix.  To  the 
cover  of  Foljambe  Lady  Maynard's  Dal  ton 
Duke  heifer  Young  -Strawberry  dropped  the 
bull  Bolingbroke  (86),  called  by  Coates  the 
best  bull  he  ever  saw.  It  is  at  this  point  that 
the  Bakewell  system  was  first  tried.  The  Lady 
Maynard  heifer  Phoenix  (by  Foljambe)  was 
bred  to  the  Young  Strawberry  (daughter  of 
Lady  Maynard)  bull  Bolingbroke  (by  Foljambe), 
the  produce  of  this  close  breeding  being  the 
celebrated  bull  Favorite  (252).  It  is  claimed 
by  historians  of  the  Bates  Herd  that  this 
mating  was  not  directed  as  a  well-matured 
scheme.  Phoenix  had  previously  been  bred  to 
Robert  Colling's  Ben  (70).  According  to  Bell 


38          A  HISTORY  OF  SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  cow  was  not  bred  back  to  Ben  again  be- 
cause a  coolness  had  arisen  between  the  two 
brothers,  and  was  only  served  by  Bolingbroke 
simply  in  order  that  "she  might  have  a  calf  of 
some  sort."  This  may  or  may  not  be  true,  but 
the  fact  remains  nevertheless  that  Favorite, 
with  his  double  infusion  of  the  blood  of  Fol- 
jambe  and  Lady  Maynard,  represented  the  first 
fruit  of  the  application  of  the  policy  of  in-and- 
in  breeding  to  Short-horn  cattle.  Colling  sold 
Bolingbroke  when  eight  years  old  to  Mr.  Job- 
ling  for  seventy  guineas.  Vigorous  to  the  last 
the  old  bull  was  killed  at  Newcastle  in  1800, 
being  sold  at  one  shilling  per  pound.  It  is  said 
that  his  stock  had,  as  a  rule,  red  bodies  with 
some  white  on  their  faces,  thus  resembling 
somewhat  in  their  markings  the  modern  Here- 
ford. 

Favorite  (252)  an  extraordinary  sire. — This 
greatest  of  all  old-time  sires  was  "a  large,  mas- 
sive bull  of  good  constitution,  with  a  fine,  bold 
eye,  remarkably  good  loins  and  long,  level  hind 
quarters.  His  shoulder  points  stood  wide  and 
were  somewhat  coarse;  they  protruded  into 
the  neck.  His  horns  were  long  and  strong." 
Coates  called  him  "low  in  the  back."  Wais- 
tell  said  he  was  "a  grand  beast  *  *  *  with 
a  good  coat  and  as  good  a  handler  as  ever  was 
felt."  It  is  said  that  he  resembled  his  dam, 
Phoenix,  rather  than  his  sire,  Bolingbroke. 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE    IMPROVED   TYPE.       39 

Favorite  was  a  light  roan,  dropped  in  1793, 
and  died  in  1809.  So  nearly  did  he  meet  Mr. 
Colling's  views  as  to  what  a  Short-horn  bull 
should  be  that  he  now  began  a  most  extraordi- 
nary course  of  inbreeding.  For  years  the  bull 
was  used  indiscriminately  upon  his  own  off- 
spring, often  to  the  third  and  in  one  or  two 
instances  to  the  fifth  and  sixth  generations. 
His  get  were  not  only  the  most  celebrated 
Short-horns  of  their  day,  but  his  immediate 
descendants  constitute  a  large  percentage  of 
the  entire  foundation  stock  upon  which  the 
herd-book  records  stand.  He  was  bred  back  to 
his  own  dam,  the  produce  being  a  heifer,  Young 
Phoenix.  To  still  farther  test  the  Bakewell 
system  this  heifer  was  then  bred  to  her  own 
sire,  the  issue  of  that  doubly-incestuous  union 
being  the  bull  Comet  (155),  the  pride  of  his 
time  and  the  first  Short-horn  to  sell  for  $5,000. 
The  first  calf  got  by  Favorite  was  dropped  by 
the  Duchess  cow,  and  the  second  was  a  bull 
that  was  afterward  steered  and  acquired  celeb- 
rity as 

"The  Durham  Ox."— It  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  at  this  time  the  Short-horns  were  a 
local  breed  .of  cattle,  confined  chiefly  to  the 
counties  of  ancient  Northumbria,  and  the  best 
of  them  were  to  be  found  in  and  about  the  Val- 
ley of  the  Tees.  The  Collings,  in  the  exercise 
of  their  usual  foresight  and  sagacity,  deter- 


40  A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

mined  to  give  their  cattle  a  wide  reputation 
through  the  kingdom,  and  for  that  purpose 
Charles  prepared  the  Durham  Ox  for  public  ex- 
hibition. As  this  ox  achieved  a  wide  reputation 
and  successfully  drew  the  merits  of  the  Short- 
horns to  the  attention  of  the  cattle-breeding 
public,  although  it  has  been  frequently  pub- 
lished, a  full  account  of  him  will  be  repeated. 
He  was  among  the  earliest  calves  got  by  Fa- 
vorite (252),  "bred  in  the  year  1796,  and  out  of 
a  common  black-and-white  cow,  bought  for 
Charles  Colling  by  John  Simpson,  at  Durham 
Fair,  for  £14  ($70)."  Although  the  dam  of  the 
Durham  Ox  was  said  to  have  been  "a  common 
cow,"  yet  from  the  price  which  Colling  paid  for 
her,  and  the  marvelous  excellence  of  the  steer 
descended  from  her,  ifc  is  altogether  probable 
she  possessed  much  of  the  "common"  Short- 
horn blood  of  the  vicinity.  Judging  from  her 
color  she  was  probably  not  highly  bred,  but  it 
is  certain  that  she  had  much  quality.  This 
ateer  Colling  fed  up  to  his  greatest  flesh-taking 
capacity  until  nearly  five  years  old,  when  he 
had  attained  a  reputed  weight  of  3,024  Ibs. 
He  was  then  purchased  to  be  exhibited  by  Mr. 
Bulmer  of  Harmby,  in  February,  1801,  for  £140 
($700).  Bulmer  had  a  traveling  carriage  made 
to  carry  him  through  the  country,  and  after 
traveling  and  exhibiting  him  five  weeks  sold 
the  carriage  and  ox  at  Rotherham  to  John  Day 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE   IMPROVED   TYPE.       41 

for  £250  ($1,250).  On  the  14th  of  May  ensuing 
Mr.  Day  could  have  sold  him  for  £525  ($2,625); 
on  the  13th  of  June  for  £1,000  ($5,000),  and  on 
the  8th  of  July  for  £2,000  ($10,000),  but  he  re- 
fused all  these  offers,  which  were  strong  proofs 
of  the  excellence  of  the  ox,  as  well  as  his  exhib- 
ition value.  Mr.  Day  traveled  with  him  nearly 
six  years  through  the  principal  parts  of  England 
and  Scotland,  till  at  Oxford,  on  the  19th  of  Feb- 
ruary, the  ox  dislocated  his  hip  bone,  and  con- 
tinued in  that  state  till  the  15th  of  April,  when 
he  was  killed,  and  notwithstanding  he  must 
have  lost  considerable  flesh  during  these  eight 
weeks  of  illness,  yet  his  dead  weight  was:  Four 
quarters,  2,322  Ibs.;  tallow,  156  Ibs.;  hide,  142 
Ibs.;  total,  2,620  Ibs.  This  was  at  the  age  of 
eleven  years,  under  all  the  disadvantages  of  six 
years  traveling  in  a  jolting  carriage  and  eight 
weeks  of  painful  lameness.  At  ten  years  old 
Mr.  Day  stated  his  live  weight  to  have  been 
nearly  3,400  Ibs. 

"The  White  Heifer  That  Traveled,"— About 
the  year  1806  Robert  Colling  reared  a  purely- 
bred  heifer,  afterward  called  the  "  White  Heifer 
That  Traveled,"  which  he  sent  out  through  the 
principal  agricultural  counties  for  exhibition. 
The  date  of  her  birth  is  not  given  in  the  first 
volume  E.  H.  B.,  where  her  pedigree  is  recorded. 
She  was  also  got  by  Favorite  (252)  from  a 
dam  called  « Favorite  Cow,"  bred  by  R.  Colling. 


42  A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

The  name  of  "  Favorite  Cow's"  sire  is  not  given. 
Her  grandam,  "Yellow  Cow,"  was  by  Punch 
(531),  and  her  great-grandam  was  by  Anthony 
Reed's  Bull  (538),  and  bred  by  Mr.  Best  of  Man- 
field.  The  "  White  Heifer"  being  twinned  with 
a  bull,  and  herself  not  breeding,  she  was  fed  up 
to  her  greatest  flesh-taking  capacity  and  exten- 
sively exhibited.  Her  age  when  slaughtered 
is  not  given,  but  the  account  states  that  her 
live  weight  could  not  have  been  less  than 
2,300  Ibs.,  and  her  dead  weight  was  estimated 
at  1,820  Ibs. 

There  were  other  extraordinary,  large  and 
heavy  cattle  bred  and  fed  by  the  Short-horn 
breeders  contemporary  with  the  Collings,  whose 
recorded  weights  we  might  give,  but  as  they  all 
run  in  about  the  same  scale  it  is  not  important 
to  record  them  here.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that 
the  great  reputation  which  the  Collings  and 
their  animals  acquired  was  through  the  wider 
knowledge  which  the  public  abroad  obtained 
of  them  by  these  public  exhibitions.  Thus  the 
Collings  became  conspicuously  known,  and  were 
considered  by  those  not  intimately  acquainted 
with  the  other  breeders  around  them  as,  if  not 
the  founders,  at  least  the  great  improvers  of 
the  newly-advertised  and  meritorious  breed. 

The  "alloy"  blood,— In  the  year  1791,  after 
Charles  Colling  had  been  ten  years  a  Short-horn 
breeder  and  had  his  choicest  Short-horn  fami- 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE    IMPROVED   TYPE.      43 

lies  well  established,  one  of  his  neighbors,  Col. 
O'Callaghan,  purchased  two  Scotch  Galloway 
hornless  heifers  and  brought  to  his  farm.  He 
agreed  with  Colling  to  have  the  heifers  served 
by  his  bull  Bolingbroke  (86),  with  the  under- 
standing that  if  the  calves  were  bulls  Colling 
was  to  have  them;  if  heifers,  O'Callaghan  was 
to  retain  them.  One  of  these  heifers,  red  in 
color,  dropped  a  red-and-white  roan  bull  calf 
in  the  year  1792,  which  immediately  became 
the  property  of  Colling.  The  other  calf  was  a 
heifer,  which  was  kept  by  O'Callaghan.  Colling 
had  an  aged  Short-horn  cow,  "Old  Johanna," 
bred  by  himself,  of  moderate  quality,  got  by 
"Lame  Bull"  (358),  bred  by  Robert  Colling. 
That  is  all  which  is  given  of  her  pedigree,  no 
dam  being  mentioned.  Yet  Lame  Bull  had  two 
crosses  of  Hubback  (319)  in  him,  and  his  great- 
grandam  was  by  James  Brown's  Red  Bull  (97), 
so  far  giving  him  an  excellent  pedigree.  Old 
Johanna  not  having  bred  a  calf  for  two  years 
was  put  to  this  Son  of  Bolingbroke  (from  the 
Galloway  heifer),  when  a  yearling,  and  he  got 
her  in  calf.  The  produce  was  another  bull  calf, 
in  1794,  Grandson  of  Bolingbroke  (280),  red  and 
white  in  color,  which  Colling  also  kept,  being 
three-fourths  Short-horn  and  one-fourth  Gallo- 
way blood.  Colling's  cow  Phoenix,  the  dam  of 
Favorite  (252),  had  become  somewhat  aged,  and 
not  having  had  a  calf  since  the  birth  of  Favorite, 


44  A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT -HORN   CATTLE. 

although  put  to  good  balls,  as  a  last  resort  she 
was  coupled  to  this  Grandson  of  Bolingbroke, 
when  a  yearling,  in  1795,  and  by  him  she  had  a 
red-and-white  heifer  calf  in  the  year  1796.  This 
calf  Colling  called  "  Lady."  She  had  one-eighth 
part  Galloway  blood.  Proving  a  very  good  one, 
Colling  reared  this  heifer,  and  at  maturity  bred 
her  successively  to  his  bulls  Favorite  (252),  her 
half-brother;  Cupid  (177),  otherwise  closely  re- 
lated to  her;  and  to  Comet  (155),  still  more 
closely  related.  She  produced  the  heifers  Coun- 
tess, one-sixteenth  Galloway,  by  Cupid;  and 
Laura,  also  one-sixteenth  Galloway,  by  Favorite, 
both  of  which  proved  fine  cows.  Her  bull 
calves  were  Washington  (674),  one-sixteenth 
Galloway,  by  Favorite;  also  Major  (397),  one- 
sixteenth;  George  (276),  one-sixteenth;  and  Sir 
Charles  (592),  one-sixteenth  Galloway;  the  three 
last  ones  by  Comet  (155).  The  two  "  alloy" 
bulls,  "Q'Callaghan's  Son  of  Bolingbroke" 
(469),  and  "Grandson  of  Bolingbroke"  (280),  as 
well  as  the  cows  Lady  and  her  daughters  Coun- 
tess and  Laura  and  some  of  their  descendants, 
were  recorded  in  Vol.  I,  E.  H.  B.,  many  years 
after  Colling  had  sold  them,  with  their  Gallo- 
way cross  distinctly  stated. 

Although  very  little  of  this  blood  remained 
in  the  descendants  of  these  so-called  "alloy" 
cattle  at  the  time  of  the  Ketton  sale  of  1810— 
the  outcross  having  been  buried  fathoms  deep 


DEVELOPMENT   OF    THE    IMPROVED   TYPE.      45 

by  pure  Short-horn  blood — there  was  an  effort 
subsequently  made  to  discredit  them,  but  hap- 
pily the  controversy  once  waged  over  them  no 
longer  interests  practical  breeders. 

As  to  Robert  Colling.— In  his  youth  Robert 
had  been  apprenticed  to  a  grocer,  but  his  health 
declining  he  embraced  farming.  He  had  often 
visited  Mr.  Culley,  a  noted  farmer,  stock- 
breeder and  agricultural  writer,  and  took  les- 
sons from  him  in  farming,  turnip-growing  and 
stock-feeding.  He  had  obtained  Leicester  sheep 
from  Bakewell,  and  for  many  years  bred  and 
sold  them  with  great  success,  simultaneous  with 
his  pursuit  of  cattle-breeding.  His  annual  ram- 
lettings  were  extensive  and  profitable. 

Some  of  his  earliest  stock  he  obtained  from 
Mr.  Milbank  of  Barningham.  They  were  con- 
sidered as  among  the  best  of  the  Teeswater 
cattle,  and  noted  for  their  excellent  grazing 
properties.  He  also  selected  the  best  cows  to 
be  obtained  from  other  breeders,  and  having 
the  bull  Hubback  (319),  as  previously  stated,  in 
the  year  1783,  by  which  he  had  seventeen  cows 
served,  it  may  well  be  supposed  that  he  made 
a  ready  and  sure  start  through  the  best  blood 
and  the  best  animals  he  could  obtain  in  the 
foundation  of  his  herd.  He  bred  with  skill  and 
judgment,  and  founded  several  different  fami- 
lies, among  the  rest  the  Wildair,  the  Red 
Rose,  the  Princess,  the  Bright  Eyes,  and  oth- 


46          A  HISTORY  OF  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

ers,  which  became  in  future  hands,  as  well 
as  his  own,  widely  noted  as  the  basis  of  supe- 
rior herds.  He  also  bred  many  noted  bulls. 
Among  the  earliest  of  them  were  Broken-horn 
(95),  by  Hubback  (319);  Punch  (513),  by 
Broken-horn;  Ben  (70),  and  Twin  Brother  to 
Ben  (660),  by  Punch;  Colling's  (Robert)  White 
Bull  (151),  by  Favorite  (252);  Marske  (418),  by 
Favorite  [his  dam  and  grandam  also  by  Favor- 
ite; great-grandam  by  Hubback  (319) — that 
became  a  very  noted  bull,  useful  thirteen 
years,  and  died  at  fifteen  years  old];  North 
Star  (459),  by  Favorite  [and  full  brother  to 
the  "White  Heifer  That  Traveled"];  Phenom- 
enon (491),  by  Favorite,  and  Styford  (629)  by 
Favorite. 

"The  American  Cow." — Among  the  cows 
bred  by  Robert  Colling  was  one  which  has  ob- 
tained celebrity,  through  her  descendants,  as 
"The  American  Cow";  and  it  was  a  subject 
of  inquiry  for  many  years,  both  in  England 
and  America,  why  a  cow  so  ancient  in  line- 
age should  have  been  called  by  a  name  so  for- 
eign to  her  birthplace,  and  after  a  country 
where  the  Short-horns  at  that  time  were  almost 
unknown.  We  first  find  her  name  in  the  pedi- 
gree of  Red  Rose,  in  first  edition  of  Vol.  I,  p. 
457,  E.  H.  B.,  as  follows:  "Red,  calved  in  1811, 
bred  by  Mr.  Hustler,  property  of  Mr.  T.  Bates; 
got  by  Yarborough  (705),  dam  (bred  by  R.  Col- 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE    IMPROVED   TYPE.      47 

ling  and  called  The  American  Cow)  by  Favorite 
(252),  grandam  by  Punch  (531),  great-grandam 
by  Foljambe  (263),  great-great-grandam  by 
Hubback  (319)." 

In  the  above  pedigree  The  American  Cow  is 
originally  identified.  In  Vol.  II,  p.  497,  first 
edition  E.  H.  B.,  the  same  Red  Rose  is  again  re- 
corded as  Red  Rose  1st,  her  dam  being  "  The 
American  Cow,"  as  before.  In  a  conversation 
with  the  late  L.  F.  Allen,  Mr.  John  Thornton 
of  London,  who  visited  this  country  in  the 
winter  of  1870-71,  remarked  that  he  had  never 
learned  why  the  American  Cow  was  so  called, 
although  he  had  made  diligent  inquiries  in 
England  for  the  reason. 

The  American  history  of  the  cow,  as  we  have 
been  informed  on  authority  which  we  deem 
good,  is  this:  In  some  year,  not  long  after  1801, 
a  son  of  Mr.  Hustler,  who  was  a  Short-horn 
cattle-breeder  in  Yorkshire,  emigrated  to  New 
York,  and  brought  with  him  some  Short-horn 
cattle,  among  which  was  this  nameless  cow,  or 
then  heifer,  afterward  dam  of  the  Red  Rose  1st, 
which  his  father  bought  of  Robert  Colling. 
The  younger  Hustler  went  into  business  in  New 
York  city,  and  put  his  cattle  into  the  adjoining 
county  of  Westchester.  After  a  few  years'  stay 
in  America  he  returned  to  England,  and  not 
finding  his  Short-horns  appreciated  on  this  side 
the  ocean  (as  we  find  no  record  of  them  or 


48          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

their  produce  in  this  country)  Mr.  Hustler 
took  this  cow  back  with  him,  as  she  was  a  re- 
markably good  beast,  and  put  her  into  his 
father's  herd.  Then,  on  being  put  to  Yarbor- 
ough,  she  became  the  dam  of  Red  Rose,  after- 
ward purchased  by  Mr.  Bates,  he  calling  her 
Red  Rose  1st,  which,  in  his  hands,  was  the 
ancestress  of  the  tribe  of  Red  Rose,  from  whom 
many  excellent  animals  have  descended.  The 
only  English  account  we  have  of  The  American 
Cow,  aside  from  her  pedigree,  which  we  have 
quoted,  is  that  "she  was  sent  to  America,  and 
taken  back  to  England." 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  follow  Robert  Col- 
ling through  the  various  particulars  of  his 
breeding.  The  brothers  bred  much  in  concert, 
followed  the  same  system  of  blood  concentra- 
tion, and  in  fact  were  almost  identical  in  their 
practice.  To  sum  up  the  results  of  their  joint 
action,  it  may  be  said  that  they,  in  the  midst  of 
older  and  more  experienced  breeders,  combated 
the  rooted  prejudices  of  the  day,  and  through 
the  Bakewell  system  established  a  new  school 
of  breeding. 

The  Ketton  Dispersion. — Enjoying  the  pres- 
tige of  success  and  reputation,  in  the  month  of 
October,  1810,  Charles  Colling  made  a  public 
sale  of  his  herd  at  Ketton  and  retired  from 
breeding.  It  was  then  the  heyday  of  agricul- 
tural prosperity  in  the  British  Islands.  Eng- 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE   IMPROVED  TYPE.       49 

land  had  engaged  in  the  continental  wars  of 
Europe  against  the  first  Napoleon;  specie  pay- 
ments had  been  many  years  suspended  by  her 
banks  and  at  the  national  treasury;  prices  of 
agricultural  produce  were  highly  inflated,  and 
so  far  as  pounds,  shillings  and  pence  then  rated 
—probably  quite  double  to  what  they  were  ten 
years  afterward — the  sums  which  were  bid  for 
his  cattle  were  both  unprecedented  and  enor- 
mous. The  sale  was  well  advertised,  and  its 
results  marked  an  era  in  Short-horn  history. 
Twenty-nine  cows  and  heifers  fetched  £4,066 
13s.,  an  average  of  £140  4s.  7d.;  eighteen  bulls 
and  bull  calves  brought  £3,049  4s.,  an  average 
of  £169  8s.,  the  forty-seven  head  selling  for 
£7,115  17s.,  an  average  of  £151  8s.  Three- 
fourths  of  the  cattle  were  got  by  the  bulls 
Favorite  (252)  and  his  son  Comet  (155),  and  the 
remaining  fourth  by  bulls  of  their  get.  Fur- 
thermore, a  large  proportion  of  the  cows  were 
in  calf  to  Comet.  This  bull  brought  1,000 
guineas.  The  highest-priced  female  was  one 
of  his  daughters,  the  three-year-old  Lily,  that 
brought  410  guineas.  The  "alloy"  cow  Count- 
ess, "undoubtedly  the  finest  cow  in  the  sale/7 
brought  400  guineas.* 

*  We  quote  relative  to  the  sale  from  Thornton's  Circular  of  April,  1869, 
as  follows: 

"  The  sale  was  on  a  fine  October  day,  and  early  in  the  morning  people 

rode  and  drove  to  Ketton,  leaving-  their  horses  and  gigs  at  the  adjoining 

farms;  all  the  straw-yards  were  full,  and  the  throng-  at  the  sale  immense; 

everything  was  eaten  up,  so  that  bread  had  to  be  sent  for  into  Darlington. 

4 


50  A   HISTORY   OF   SHOiiT-HORN   CATTLE. 

The  Barmpton  sales. — Eight  years  after  the 
sale  of  the  Ketton  herd  Robert  Colling,  in  the 
year  1818,  made  a  partial  sale  of  his  stock,  and 

Mr.  Kingston,  the  auctioneer,  sold  the  cattle  by  the  sand-glass,  and  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  custom  of  the  time  received  about  five  guineas  for  the 
business,  the  work  of  the  sale  falling  more  on  the  owner  than  the  auction- 
eer. The  cattle  were  not  fed  up  for  the  sale,  but  kept  naturally,  and  sold 
when  they  were  in  great  condition  from  natural  keep. 

"The  Ketton  stock  at  this  time  is  described  by  Mr.  Wright  as  of  great 
size  and  substance,  with  fine,  long  hind  quarters;  the  space  from  the  hip  to 
the  rib  was  long  and  counteracted  by  a  broad  back  and  high,  round  ribs. 
The  shoulders  of  the  males  were  upright,  and  the  knuckles,  or  shoulder 
points,  large  and  coarse— a  defect  not  so  apparent  in  the  females.  The  gen- 
eral contour,  or  side  view,  was  stately  and  imposing,  but  their  great  superi- 
ority consisted  in  their  extraordinary  inclination  to  fatten.  On  handling 
the  skin  was  loose  and  pliant,  and  the  feel  under  it  remarkably  mellow  and 
kind.  The  color  was  greatly  varied,  red,  red-and-white,  roan,  and  also 
white  being  found  in  the  same  kindred,  while  in  all  cases  of  close  affinity 
there  was  a  tendency  to  white,  with  red  ears  and  spots. 

"Many  of  the  cows  were  excellent  milkers,  giving  twelve  full  quarts  at 
a  meal.  Cherry,  the  first  lot,  was  one  of  them,  a  plain  cow  in  color,  red  and 
a  little  white,  whose  descendants  are  now  in  existence  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Stockton-on-Tees  and  Malton,  Yorks.  Countess  [alloy]  was  undoubtedly 
the  finest  cow  in  the  sale,  but  she  wanted  hair  and  milk;  in  character  she 
came  nearest  to  Mason'8  style,  and  her  back  and  belly  formed  parallel 
lines.  She  produced  three  heifers  and  the  bull  Constellation  (163),  in  Maj. 
Budd's  possession,  and  died  in  1816.  Selina  [alloy]  had  the  style  of  her 
dam,  Countess,  but  not  her  magnificent  appearance;  she  bred  ten  calves  at 
Denton  Park,  and  her  descendants  in  the  ninth  and  tenth  generations  are 
still  In  existence  at  Siddington,  Gloucestershire.  Lady  lacked  elegance, 
but  had  great  substance  and  good  hair;  in  color  she  was  red-and-white. 

"Lily,  pure  bred,  sold  to  Maj.  Budd  for  400  guineas  ($2,152),  a  splendid 
white  cow,  was  the  highest-priced  female,  but  did  nothing  in  Maj.  Budd's 
possession.  Daisy,  a  small  roan  cow,  but  a  grand  milker,  was  most  fruit- 
ful with  Maj.  Bower;  her  dam,  Old  Daisy,  who  gave  thirty-two  quarts  of 
milk  a  day,  had  been  sold  to  Mr.  Hustler,  who  bred  Fairy  from  her,  the  an- 
cestress of  Bev.  J.  D.  Jefferson's  Lady  Abbesses.  This  Fairy  wae  after- 
ward bought  by  Mr.  Bates,  who  reckoned  her  to  be  the  finest  specimen  of 
quality  imaginable;  she  had  a  long,  thick,  downy  coat,  with  a  superb  fles"h 
underneath,  which  to  a  superficial  observer  appeared  hard,  the  cow  being 
In  a  rapidly  advancing  condition.  Cora  [alloy],  out  of  the  400-guineas 
cow  Countess,  had  a  pretty  red  frame,  but  ugly  cock  horns,  and  was  re- 
sold to  Maj.  Bower,  who  bred  ten  calves  from  her.  Magdalene  was  a  little 
red  cow,  with  a  large  bag  and  belly  and  short  quarters;  although  the  dam 
of  the  celebrated  red-and-white  bull  Blyth  Comet  (85),  her  only  produce  be- 
sides Ossian  (476),  she  was  not  first  rate,  and  wanted  hair,  yet  when  dry 
had  a  great  propensity  to  feed. 

"  The  only  cow  that  Charles  CoHing  reserved  was  Magdalena  [by  Comet, 
dam  by  Cupid],  a  great  favorite  and  an  extraordinary  milker,  giving  six- 


DEVELOPMENT   OF  THE  IMPROVED  TYPE.       51 

in  1820  the  closing  sale,  which  finished  his 
career  as  a  breeder.  At  the  time  of  his  first 
sale,  in  1818,  he  had  been  before  the  public  as 
a  leading  and  prominent  breeder  thirty-eight 
years,  and  at  his  final  sale,  in  1820,  forty  years. 

teen  quarts  twice  a  day.  Mr.  Whitaker  prevailed  upon  Charles  Colling  to 
let  him  have  her;  the  numerous  and  well-known  '  Chaff '  tribe  is  descended 
from  this  cow. 

"  Comet  (155)  was  the  great  attraction  of  the  sale,  and  his  close  breeding 
[by  Favorite  (252),  dam  by  Favorite  (252),  out  of  Favorite's  (252)  dam],  did 
not  detract  from  his  value  or  appearance.  Charles  Colling  declared  him  to 
be  the  best  bull  he  ever  bred  or  saw.  He  was  a  beautiful  light  roan,  dark 
[red]  neck,  with  a  fine  masculine  head,  broad  and  deep  breast,  shoulders 
well  laid  back,  crops  and  loins  good,  hind  quarters  long,  straight,  and  well 
packed,  thighs  thick,  twist  full  and  well  let  down,  with  nice  straight  hocks 
and  hind  legs.  He  had  fair-sized  horns,  ears  large  and  hairy,  and  a  gran- 
deur of  style  and  carriage  that  was  indescribable.  It  was  admitted  that  no 
bull  so  good  had  ever  before  been  seen,  and  eminent  breeders  have  since 
said  that  they  never  again  saw  his  equal.  In  one  point,  however,  opinions 
differed.  Some  few  objected  to  his  shoulders  as  not  being  good,  or  a  little 
too  strong  in  the  knuckles;  others  asserted  that  he  was  there,  as  in  every 
other  point,  faultless.  The  near  shoulder  was  slightly  shrunk  in,  appar- 
ently diseased,  which  may  have  arisen  from  a  violent  sprain  that  he  re- 
ceived when  a  calf.  When  brought  into  the  ring  he  was  put  up  at  600 
guineas.  Thomas  Newton,  a  small  dairyman  at  Bishop  Auckland,  bid  850 
guineas,  and  Mr.  John  Wright,  standing  beside  him,  asked  why  he  bid?  'To 
take  in  cows  at  a  good  profit,'  said  he,  and  while  talking  the  glass  run  out 
at  1,000  guineas  ($5,000).  Mr  John  Hutton  of  Marske,  who  was  unable  to  get 
to  the  sale,  bid  1,600  guineas  for  him,  as  well  as  Sir  H.  Vane  Tempest,  who 
was  delayed,  and  drove  up  just  as  the  sale  was  finishing.  Comet  was 
located  at  Cleasby,  three  miles  from  Darlington,  and  was  kept  in  a  small 
paddock,  with  a  loose  box  in  the  corner.  The  condition  of  purchase  was 
that  the  four  buyers  should  send  twelve  cows  each  annually  to  him,  and 
Mr.  Wright  was  to  have  one  extra  for  his  keep.  Mr.  Wright  died  in  the 
meantime,  and  Comet  gradually  sank,  his  body  breaking  oat  into  sores. 
Remus  (550)  is  supposed  to  have  been  his  last  calf.  Miss  Wright  kept  a 
man  expressly  to  attend  to  Comet,  and  when  the  bull  died  he  was  buried  in 
the  center  of  the  paddock,  and  a  chestnut  tree  planted  on  his  grave.  The 
paddock  is  known  as  '  Comet's  garth '  [enclosure]  to  this  day.  Mr.  Thorn- 
ton of  Stapleton  purchased  this  field,  and  the  tree  having  grown  to  an  enor- 
mous size  was  grubbed  up  on  the  3d  of  February,  1865,  and  Comet's  skeleton 
laid  bare;  his  rib  bone  measured  two  feet  one  inch,  and  the  leg  bone,  knee 
to  ankle  joint,  nine  inches  to  five  inches  circumference.  Many  of  the  other 
bones  were  quite  perfect,  and  the  whole  are  preserved  in  a  glass  case  as  a 
curiosity  at  Stapleton,  near  Darlington. 

"North  Star  (458),  own  brother  to  Comet,  and  a  year  younger,  was  used 
and  died  at  Gen.  Simpson's  in  Fifeshire;  he  was  a  little  lighter  in  color  but 


62          A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

During1  all  that  time,  like  his  brother  Charles, 
he  had  been  a  large  seller  of  stock  as  well  as  a 
considerable  purchaser.  He  sold  his  surplus 
animals  to  other  breeders,  through  which  the 
blood  of  many  of  his  best  animals  was  im- 
parted to  their  herds,  since  become  famous. 
Like  his  brother  Charles,  whenever  he  had 
found  a  well-bred  female  whose  superior  good 
qualities  pleased  him,  if  it  were  possible  he 
also  availed  himself,  by  purchase,  of  her  merits. 
As  with  the  sale  of  Charles  in  1810,  the  widely 
advertised  first  sale  of  Robert  in  1818,  with  a 
greater  number  of  animals,  brought  a  large 
attendance  of  the  most  spirited  breeders  of  Eng- 
land. It  took  place  on  the  29th  and  30th  days 
of  September.  Sixty-one  cattle  were  sold  for 
£7,852  19s.,  an  average  of  £128  14s.  9d.  The 
top  price  was  621  guineas  for  the  four-year-old 

fully  as  fine  In  quality,  or  perhaps  rather  thicker,  though  not  such  a  per. 
fectly  elegant  animal  as  Comet.  Young  Phoenix,  their  dam,  only  produced 
one  other  calf,  a  heifer,  that  died  young. 

"Major  (397),  a  nice  bull,  but  not  particularly  handsome,  and  of  a  red- 
and-white  color,  begot  much  good  stock  in  Lincolnshire  for  many  years. 
He  was  hired  by  Mr.  John  Charge,  who  bred  Western  Comet  (689)  by  him, 
out  of  Gentle  Kitty.  Western  Comet  was  acknowledged  to  be  the  best  bull 
and  finest  stock-getter  ever  brought  into  Cumberland.  He  was  used  to  his 
daughters  and  granddaughters,  and  from  this  close  alliance  came  the 
Wharfdale  tribe,  recently  so  successful  in  Ireland.  Petrarch  (488)  was  a 
splendid-looking  bull,  but  wanted  hair,  whilst  Northumberland  (464),  who 
had  big  knuckles,  was  used,  like  Ossian  (476)  in  Westmoreland,  for  several 
seasons,  both  becoming  celebrated  sires.  Ketton  (346)  also  showed  strong 
knuckles  and  eventually  went  into  Nottinghamshire.  Albion  (14)  is  said  to 
have  done  more  good  than  any  other  bull  used  at  Killerby  [Thomas 
Booth's].  Young  Duchess,  known  afterward  as  Duchess  1st  [bought  by 
Thomas  Bates],  was  a  fine  red  heifer  and  developed  into  a  large,  handsome 
cow,  with  a  good  deal  of  the  elegance  and  style  of  her  sire,  Comet.  She 
was  never  quite  so  splendid  an  animal  as  her  grandam,  the  Duchess,  by  the 
Daisy  Bull  (186)." 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   THE   IMPROVED   TYPE.       53 

bull  Lancaster  (360).  Mr.  Booth  of  Killerby 
paid  270  guineas  for  the  bull  calf  Pilot  (496). 
The  final  closing-out  sale  of  the  herd  oc- 
curred Oct.  3,  1820,  and  like  that  of  1818  at- 
tracted wide  attention.  The  forty-six  head 
brought  £2,273  15s.  6d.,  an  average  of  £49  8s. 
7d.,  the  highest  price  paid  being  350  guineas  by 
Sir  C.  Loraine  for  the  five-year-old  bull  Baro- 
net (62).  The  total  of  the  two  sales  was 
£10,126  14s.  6d.  Commenting  upon  these  prices 
Mr.  John  Thornton,  than  whom  there  is  no 
higher  authority  in  England,  says:  "  Although 
the  average  of  the  Barmpton  sale,  1818,  was 
under  that  of  Ketton,  1810,  there  is  every 
reason  to  believe  that  it  was  a  better  sale.  In 
1810  things  were  at  war  price  and  everything 
high,  whilst  in  1818  there  was  peace  and  a  gen- 
eral depression  upon  agriculture.  The  'alloy' 
blood,  too,  in  the  Ketton  stock  tended  to  pro- 
mote competition  for  the  purer  strains  at 
Barmpton.  The  bulls  are  said  by  Mr.  Wether- 
ell  to  have  been  the  finest  lot  he  ever  saw  at 
one  sale.  They  doubled  the  average  of  the 
cows,  and,  taking  the  highest-priced  family 
at  Ketton  against  the  highest-priced  one  at 
Barmpton,  we  have  the  following  result  in  favor 
of  the  Barmpton  stock:  At  Ketton  the  Phoe- 
nix tribe,  sixteen  (including  Comet,  1,000  gui- 
neas), averaged  £221  3s.;  at  Barmpton  the  Red 
Rose  tribe,  eleven  (including  Lancaster,  621 


54  A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

guineas),  averaged  £269  3s.  6d.,  and  the  thirteen 
favorite  Wildairs  averaged  £142  17s.  6d." 

Pre-eminence  of  the  Ceilings, — While  the 
Short-horn  history  of  this  particular  period 
must  deal  mainly  with  the  operations  of  the 
brothers  Colling,  it  will  of  course  be  understood 
that  they  had  many  intelligent  contemporaries. 
Whether  the  Collings  really  earned  the  right  to 
be  called  the  first  great  improvers  of  the  mod- 
ern Short-horn,  or  whether  they  gained  their 
fame  mainly  by  reason  of  the  novelty  of  their 
methods  and  their  superior  enterprise  as  adver- 
tisers, the  fact  remains  that  more  pedigrees  in 
the  Short-horn  herd  books  of  England  and 
America  trace  to  the  Colling  herds  than  to  any 
other  dozen  herds  of  the  same  period  combined. 
Manifestly  there  was  some  good  reason  for  the 
general  adoption  of  Colling  blood.  That  the 
breeders  of  that  day  conceded  leadership  to  the 
breeder  of  Foljambe,  Favorite  and  Comet  is  in- 
dicated by  a  testimonial  tendered  Charles  Col- 
ling on  his  retirement  from  breeding  in  1810— 
a  valuable  piece  of  plate  bearing  the  following 
inscription: 

PRESENTED  TO 

MR.   CHARLES   COLLING, 

THE  GREAT  IMPROVER  OF  THE  SHORT-HORNED  BREED  OF  CATTLE, 
BY    THE    BREEDERS 

(  Upwards  of  fifty), 

WHOSE  NAMES  ARE  ANNEXED, 

<S  A  TOKEN  OF  GRATITUDE   DUE  FOR  THE   BENEFIT  THEY  HAVE  DERIVED 

FROM    HIS   JUDGMENT,  AND   ALSO   AS    A    TESTIMONY    OF 

THEIR   ESTEEM   FOR  HIM  AS   A    MAN. 

1810. 


THOS.   BOOTH,  OF  KILLERBY. 

(From  photograph  of  painting,  reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Richard 
Booth,  Esq.,  Warlaby,  North  Allerton,  England.) 


CHAPTER    III. 


FOUNDATIONS  OF  THE  BOOTH  HERDS. 

Free  use  of  the  Colling  blood  was  made  in 
every  herd  of  any  importance  in  the  Short 
horn  breeding  districts,  but  of  all  those  who 
availed  themselves  directly  of  the  improve- 
ment wrought  at  Ketton  and  Barmpton  the 
names  of  the  elder  (Thomas)  Booth,  Thomas 
Bates,  Christopher  Mason,  Earl  Spencer  and 
Jonas  Whitaker  are  among  the  most  conspic- 
uous. Indeed,  one  of  the  first  things  learned 
by  those  who  take  up  the  study  of  the  Short- 
horn is  the  fact  that  for  upward  of  half  a  cen- 
tury the  main  question  in  the  minds  of  a  large 
proportion  of  the  breeders  on  both  sides  the 
Atlantic  seemed  to  have  been  whether  to  adopt 
the  Bates  or  the  Booth  line  of  breeding.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  the  cattle  bequeathed  originally 
by  the  Messrs.  Booth  and  Thomas  Bates  were 
unquestionably  of  the  highest  order  of  merit, 
the  former  representing  a  type  distinguished 
especially  for  substance  and  flesh  and  the  latter 
a  class  of  cattle  of  the  dual-purpose  sort,  pos- 
sessing much  refinement  of  character  and  un- 
doubted quality.  In  each  case  the  stock  repre- 

(55) 


56          A   HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

sented  a  remarkable  concentration  of  blood, 
possessed  a  singular  uniformity  in  general 
characteristics  and  displayed  remarkable  pre- 
potency when  crossed  upon  cattle  of  mixed  or 
miscellaneous  breeding.  In  the  "  craze "  that 
set  in  for  stock  of  one  or  the  other  of  these 
two  great  rival  types  both  naturally  suffered 
from  the  very  popularity  that  gave  them  prom- 
inence. Speculators,  as  distinguished  from 
constructive  breeders,  appeared  upon  the  scene 
and  a  traffic  in  "  fashionable  pedigrees  "  sprang 
up  which  finally  ended  in  disaster  both  to  the 
breed  and  to  those  who  recklessly  persisted  in 
their  mad  career  of  in-and-in  or  "line"  breed- 
ing, with  its  inevitable  dangers  intensified  by 
the  retention  for  breeding  purposes  of  all  ani- 
mals, good,  bad  and  indifferent,  that  could  trace 
descent  direct  from  Bates  or  Booth  sources. 
Particularly  was  this  true  of  the  Bates  Short- 
horns. The  story  of  the  rise  and  extension  of 
the  Booth  and  Bates  power  forms  one  of  the 
most  important  parts  of  the  Short-horn  history 
of  the  nineteenth  century;  and  a  knowledge 
of  the  main  facts  connected  therewith  is  as 
essential  as  it  may  be  useful  to  those  who  are 
now  engaged  in  the  breeding  of  Short-horn 
cattle.  We  therefore  next  take  up  the  narra- 
tive of  the  origin  of  these  two  dominant  vari- 
eties, with  incidental  references  to  the  work  of 
other  early  breed-builders. 


FOUNDATIONS   OP  THE   BOOTH   HERDS.          57 

The  elder  Booth.— Thos.  Booth,  the  founder 
of  the  group  of  tribes  that  still  bear  his  name, 
was  the  owner  of  the  beautiful  Yorkshire  estate 
of  Killerby  in  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Swale 
and  of  Warlaby  in  the  vale  of  the  Wiske.  He 
began  his  work  with  Short-horns  at  Killerby 
prior  to  the  year  1790.  In  common  with  the 
Collings  and  nearly  all  of  his  other  contempo- 
raries, Mr.  Booth  endeavored  to  solve  the  prob- 
lem of  how  to  refine  the  old  Teeswater  stock. 
He  realized  the  faults  of  the  prevailing  type 
and  was  among  the  first  to  concede  that 
through  Hubback  (319)  and  the  Bakewell  sys- 
tem the  Collings  had  probably  hit  upon  the 
long-sought  line  of  progression.  Unlike  Mr. 
Bates  and  many  other  breeders  of  the  time,  he 
did  not  deem  it  essential,  however,  to  go  to 
Ketton  and  Barmpton  for  females  to  carry  on 
his  experiments.  He  had  an  idea  that  by  cross- 
ing moderate-sized,  strongly-bred  Colling  bulls 
upon  large-framed,  roomy  cows  showing  great 
constitution  and  an  aptitude  to  fatten  he  could 
improve  even  upon  the  work  of  the  Collings. 
To  this  extent,  therefore,  he  must  be  credited 
with  greater  originality  than  some  of  his  broth- 
er breeders.  Moreover,  the  outcome  revealed 
that  he  possessed  quite  as  much  skill  as  he  had 
independence  of  character. 

The  first  of  the  "  improved  "  or  Colling  bulls 
selected  for  this  purpose  were  Twin  Brother  to 


58          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Ben  (660)  and  one  of  his  sons,  both  bred  by 
Robert  Colling.  This  brought  in  a  strong  in- 
fusion of  the  blood  of  Hubback,  through  Punch 
(531)  and  Foljambe  (263),  in  addition  to  which 
the  grand  am  of  Twin  Brother  to  Ben  went  to 
Hubback  direct. 

The  Fairholme  experiment, —  Among  Mr. 
Booth's  earlier  selections  were  five  heifer  calves 
from  a  set  of  cows  owned  by  a  Mr.  Broader  of 
Fairholme,  a  dairy  farmer  and  tenant  of  Lord 
Harewood  in  the  parish  of  Ainderby;  one  of 
which — Fairholme  by  name— became  the  an- 
cestress of  several  illustrious  families.  The 
darns  of  these  calves  were  described  as  "fine 
cattle;  good  dairy  cows  and  great  grazers  when 
dry;  somewhat  incompact  in  frame  and  steer- 
ish  in  appearance,  but  of  very  robust  constitu- 
tion." Mr.  Booth  evidently  put  substance 
ahead  of  points  of  less  practical  importance, 
and  from  the  very  first  regarded  flesh-making 
capacity  and  breadth  of  back  and  loin  of  more 
value  than  persistent  flow  of  milk.  While 
there  were  some  cows  of  marked  dairy  capacity 
in  his  original  herd,  they  soon  acquired  a  dis- 
position to  "  dry  off"  quickly  and  put  on  great 
wealth  of  flesh,  a  trait  which  ever  afterward 
distinguished  the  best  of  the  Booth  cattle. 

The  result  of  the  use  of  the  Colling  bulls 
upon  the  Fairholme  heifers  fulfilled  all  expect- 
ations. From  this  "nick"  descended  the  Fair- 


FOUNDATIONS   OF   THE   BOOTH   HERDS.          59 

holme  or  Blossom  tribe,  the  old  Booth  Red 
Rose  tribe  and  the  Ariadne  or  Bright  Eyes 
tribe,  from  which  group  came  some  of  the  best 
of  the  Killerby  and  Warlaby  cattle,  among 
others  the  noted  Twin  cow  (by  Albion),  her 
son  Navigator  and  a  score  of  great  show  cat- 
tle, including  such  celebrities  as  Bloom,  Plum 
Blossom,  Nectarine  'Blossom,  Venus  Victrix, 
Baron  Warlaby  and  Windsor. 

Some  foundation  sires. — The  first  Colling 
bulls  were  reinforced  by  the  purchase  of  Su- 
worrow  (636),  also  of  Barmpton  breeding,  and 
full  of  the  blood  of  Hubback  and  Favorite;  and 
the  work  of  crossing  these  bulls  upon  carefully 
selected  cows  of  different  origin  was  continued. 
At  Charles  Colling's  sale  in  1810  the  light  roan 
bull  calf  Albion  (14)  was  purchased  for  sixty 
guineas,  and  it  is  said  that  he  effected  even 
greater  improvement  in  the  herd  than  the  Ben 
bulls  or  Suworrow.  His  get  were  uniformly 
round-ribbed  and  stood  near  to  the  ground.  He 
was  intensely  bred  in  the  Favorite  blood,  al- 
though carrying  also  a  cross  of  the  so-called 
" alloy"  through  Washington  (674).  Another 
of  the  early  sires  was  Pilot  (496),  of  Robert 
Colling's  breeding,  purchased  at  the  Barmpton 
sale  of  1818  for  270  guineas;  also  overflowing 
with  the  blood  of  Favorite  (252).  Still  more  of 
the  same  blood  was  secured  through  Marshall 
Beresford  (415),  bred  by  Maj.  Bower,  a  brother- 


60          A   HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

in-law  of  Mr.  Booth's,  from  Comet  (155)  and 
Charles  Colling's  Daisy. 

Great  care  was  taken  in  mating  the  animals 
to  try  and  breed  out  defects  and  establish  de- 
sired characteristics;  and  having,  by  a  judicious 
course  of  selection  and  the  use  of  strongly-bred 
Colling  bulls,  acquired  a  good  degree  of  uni- 
formity in  essential  points,  the  Bakewell  idea 
of  breeding  from  close  affinities  was  success- 
fully adopted.  No  sooner  had  the  successful 
issue  of  the  cross  of  the  first  Colling  bulls  upon 
the  Fairholme  and  other  cows  become  apparent 
than  Mr.  Booth  began  concentrating  the  blood 
of  their  progeny.  Sir  Henry  (597)  and  his  son 
Lame  Bull  (359)  and  Young  Albion  (15)  were 
among  the  earlier  sires  representing  the  fruits 
of  Mr.  Booth's  first  inbreeding. 

The  Halnaby  or  Strawberry  tribe.  —  An- 
other foundation  dam  was  a  yellow-red  and 
white  cow  that  appealed  to  Mr.  Booth's  prac- 
ticed eye  in  the  Darlington  market  about  1797. 
She  was  bought  and  crossed  with  Colling  blood, 
and  became  the  matron  of  a  celebrated  family. 
The  first  named  cow  in  the  maternal  line  was 
Halnaby,  by  Lame  Bull  (359).  Bred  to  Albion 
(14)  she  produced  the  noted  stock-getter  Young 
Albion  (15),  the  first  of  the  Booth-bred  bulls  to 
be  let  out  on  hire,*  a  practice  which  afterward 

*  Young  Albion,  according-  to  Carr,  "went  to  Mr.  Scroope's  of  Danby 
Hall,  near  Middleham,  who  had  a  fine,  large,  robust  herd  of  cattle,  related 
through  some  of  the  bulls  used  to  the  Colling  blood.  In  1812  the  Squire  of 


FOUNDATIONS   OF    THE    BOOTH    HERDS.  61 

became  a  settled  policy  in  the  management  of 
the  Booth  herds,  and  had  much  to  commend  it, 
for  it  enabled  the  owners  to  avail  themselves 
of  the  services  of  many  bulls  that  developed 
into  great  sires  that  would  otherwise  have  been 
lost  to  them  in  the  ordinary  course  of  selling. 
From  the  Halnabys  also  came  the  bulls  Rock- 
ingham  and  Priam,  the  latter  sire  of  the  re- 
nowned show  "twins"  Necklace  and  Bracelet. 
To  this  same  foundation  also  trace  the  Bianca 
and  Bride  Elect  sort.  The  famous  cow  White 
Strawberry,  the  dam  of  the  excellent  stock  bull 
Leonard  (4210),  was  the  ancestress  of  Monk, 
Medora,  Red  Rose,  and  her  "queenly"  quar- 
tette of  daughters — Queen  of  the  May,  Queen 
Mab,  Queen  of  the  Vale  and  Queen  of  the  Ocean 
—all  by  Crown  Prince.  Young  Matchem  (4422) 
descended  from  White  Rose,  an  own  sister  to 
Young  Albion,  and  the  same  family  gave 
Young  Rachel,  the  dam  of  Mr.  Ambler's  cele- 
brated Grand  Turk  (12969).  Indeed  pages 
might  be  filled  with  the  triumphs  in  show- 
yards  and  breeding  herds  of  animals  going 
back  to  the  yellow-red  cow  picked  up  by 
Thomas  Booth  at  Darlington  market. 

The    Bracelets. — This  family  was   derived 
from  one  of  the  heifers  sired  by  Suworrow. 

Danby  challenged  Mr.  Thomas  Booth  to  show,  "  for  rump  and  dozen  "  (the 
usual  stakes  at  that  day  being:  rump  steaks  and  a  dozen  of  wine),  the  best 
lot  of  heifers  he  had  agrainst  the  same  number  of  his  own,  the  match  to  be 
decided  at  Bedale.  Although  a  good  lot  the  Danby  had  to  give  place  to  the 
Klllerby  and  Warlaby  contingent." 


62          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Nothing  is  known  of  the  cow  from  which  she 
was  bred,  but  the  Suworrow  heifer  became  the 
ancestress  of  a  fine  cow,  Countess,  dropped  in 
1812  to  the  cover  of  Albion,  from  whence  de- 
scended Toy,  the  dam  of  Necklace  and  Brace- 
let, those  twin  tributes  to  the  greatness  and 
genius  of  the  Booths  as  cattle-breeders.  From 
the  same  source  also  came  Col.  Towneley's 
Pearly  and  Mr.  Torr's  Young  Bracelet  family. 

The  earlier  representatives  of  these  Fair- 
holme,  Halnaby  and  Bracelet  tribes  constituted 
Thomas  Booth's  breeding  herd  at  Killerby  up 
to  the  year  1814,  by  which  time  he  had  acquired 
a  reputation  as  a  skillful  improver  second  to 
none.  At  that  early  date  the  modern  system 
of  high-feeding  for  the  show-yards  had  not  yet 
come  into  vogue.*  The  breeding  cows  at  Kil- 
lerby were  on  pasture  the  greater  portion  of 
the  year,  and  were  wintered  mainly  on  hay. 
Heifers  were  put  to  breeding  at  an  early  age — 
generally  calving  as  two-year-olds. 

Richard  Booth  at  Studley. — In  the  year 
1814  Richard,  son  of  Thomas  Booth,  leased  the 
farm  of  Studley,  some  fifteen  miles  south  of 
Killerby,  near  Ripon,  and  began  breeding  Short- 
horns on  his  own  account.  He  had  been  a  close 
student  of  his  father's  methods,  and  at  Studley 
carried  the  Booth  stock  to  even  greater  perfec- 

*  Carr  says  that  Mr.  Crofton  was  ih3  first  to  introduce  tiie  idea  of  "train- 
ing" Short-horns  for  show— "house-feeding-  cows  and  heifers  in  summer 
months." 


FOUNDATIONS   OF   THE   BOOTH   HERDS.          63 

tion  than  it  had  yet  attained  at  Killerby.  He 
purchased  from  his  father  the  cow  Bright  Eyes, 
by  Lame  Bull,  and  her  two  heifers  by  Albion- 
Ariadne  and  Agnes.  Ariadne  became  at  Stud- 
ley  the  dam  of  the  famous  Anna  by  Pilot.* 

The  Isabellas.—  This  great  Studley  tribe  was 
bred  from  another  one  of  those  Darlington 
market  cows — a  roan  of  untraced  breeding,  ex- 
cept that  she  was  got  by  "Mr.  Burrell's  Bull  of 
Burdon."  Her  color  and  her  quality  consti- 
tuted her  passport  into  Richard  Booth's  good 
judgment.  She  is  said  to  have  possessed  "a 
remarkably  ample  development  of  fore  quar- 
ters/' and  Mr.  Bruere,  who  afterward  bred  a 
noted  herd  of  Booth  cattle,  remarks  that  as  a 
schoolboy  at  Ripon  he  "  well  remembered  the 
brimming  pails  of  milk  she  gave."  Bred  to 
Agamemnon  (9),  of  the  Killerby  Bright  Eyes 
blood,  she  produced  the  "  White  Cow,"  which, 
mated  with  Pilot,  dropped  "the  matchless  Isa- 
bella, so  long  remembered  in  show-field  annals 
and  to  this  day  quoted  as  a  perfect  specimen  of 
her  race."f 

*Anna  was  one  of  the  best  show  cows  of  her  day,  and  in  1824  walked 
from  Studley  to  Manchester  Show,  "gaining-  first  prize  there,  walking1  back, 
and  producing  within  a  fortnight  Young  Anna."  Anna  is  said  to  have  borne 
a  close  resemblance  to  Queen  of  the  Ocean.  She  also  gave  birth  to  Ade- 
laide, the  highest-priced  female  sold  at  the  Studley  sale  in  1834,  and  was  the 
grandam  of  Mr.  Storer's  Princess  Julia.  From  Anna,  through  her  daughter 
Young  Anna,  were  descended  two  of  Mr.  Torr's  families;  and  from  Agnes, 
daughter  of  Bright  Eyes,  came  Mr.  Fawkes'  Verbena  and  her  descendants. 
Agamemnon,  an  own  brother  of  Ariadne,  was  "a  bull  of  extraordinary  sub- 
stance, good  hind  quarters,  heavy  flanks,  deep  twist  and  well-covered  hips." 

tSpeaking  of  Isabella,  Mr.  Carr  siys:  "Pedestrians  crossing  the  fields 
to  the  ruins  of  Fountain  Abbey  might  generally  see  her  and  Anna,  perhaps 


64          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

It  is  said  that  "  Isabella  and  her  descendants 
brought  the  massive  yet  exquisitely  molded 
fore  quarters  into  the  herd,  and  also  the 
straight  underline  of  the  belly,  for  which  the 
Warlaby  animals  are  so  remarkable,"  and  the 
same  authority,  Mr.  Carr,  adds:  "That  such  a 
cow  should  have  had  but  three  crosses  of  blood 
is  striking  evidence  of  the  impressive  efficacy 
of  these  early  bulls,  and  confirms  Mr,  E.  Booth's 
opinion  that  four  crosses  of  really  first-rate 
bulls  of  sterling  blood  upon  a  good  market  cow 
of  the  ordinary  Short-horn  breed  should  suffice 
for  the  production  of  an  animal  with  all  the 
characteristics  of  the  high-caste  Short-horn." 
Isabella  produced  among  other  celebrities  the 
Royal  prize- winning  Isabella  Buckingham;  and 
of  all  the  cows  owned  by  Richard  Booth  at  the 

the  two  best  cows  of  their  day,  with  a  blooming  bevy  of  fair  heifers, 
attended  by  Young  Albion;  and  many  a  traveler  lingered  on  his  way  to 
admire  their  buxom  forms,  picturing  to  himself,  perhaps,  how  the  monks 
of  the  old  abbey  would  have  gloried  in  such  beeves.  Isabella  was  the  Rev. 
Henry  Berry's  beau  ideal  of  a  Short-horn.  In  1823,  Sir  Charles  Morgan  hav- 
ing offered  a  premium  to  promote  a  trial  of  merit  between  Herefords  and 
Short-horns,  Mr.  Berry  wrote  to  the  editor  of  the  Farmers'  Journal  request- 
ing him  to  give  publicity  to  the  following  offer :  'I  will  produce  as  a  com- 
petitor for  Sir  Charles  Morgan's  premium  at  Christmas  next  a  Short-horned 
cow,  then  nine  years  old,  expecting  to  drop  her  eighth  living  calf  (at  sepa- 
rate births)  In  June  now  next  ensuing,  against  any  Hereford  in  England 
seven  or  nine  years  old  having  had  calves  for  years  in  the  same  proportion. 
I  will  also,  on  the  same  occasion,  produce  a  Short-horn  heifer  three  years 
old,  having  had  a  living  calf,  allowing  to  the  Herefords  the  same  ample 
scope — all  England— for  the  production  of  a  competitor.  It  will  be  obvious 
to  your  readers  that  in  thus  pitting  two  individuals  against  so  numerous  a 
tribe  as  the  Herefords  I  must  entertain  considerable  confidence  in  their 
merits,  and  it  will  be  as  easy  to  draw  a  correct  conclusion  ahould  my  offer 
not  be  accepted.'  The  cow  and  heifer  which,  by  permission  of  the  owners, 
Mr.  Berry  proposed  bringing  into  competition  with  the  Herefords  were  Mr. 
Whitaker's  cow  Moss  Rose  and  Mr.  Booth's  heifer  Isabella,  by  Pilot.  The 
challenge  was  not  taken  up." 


FOUNDATIONS    OF    THE    BOOTH    HERDS.          65 

time  of  the  Studley  sale  of  1834  she  (Isabella) 
alone  was  retained  and  transferred  to  Warlaby, 
where  she  produced  in  her  eighteenth  year  the 
heifer  Isabella  Matchem,  that  proved  a  prolific 
breeder.  The  entire  family  was  noted  for  its 
tendency  to  lay  on  flesh  rapidly  on  grass. 

"  White  Cow/'  by  Agamemnon,  produced  be- 
sides Isabella  Lady  Sarah  and  "  Own  Sister  to 
Isabella."  and  was  then  sold  to  Mr.  Paley.  The 
"Own  Sister"  became  the  dam  of  Blossom, 
whose  daughter  Medora — sold  to  Mr.  Fawkes— 
proved  an  extraordinary  breeder.* 

A  Marshal  Beresford  cow,  Madame,  taken 
from  Killerby  to  Studley,  became  the  matron 
of  a  tribe  that  made  up  an  important  propor- 
tion of  the  stock  sold  at  the  dispersion  of  1834. 
They  were  good  milkers  and  ripened  quickly 
when  not  nursing  calves.  They  were  largely 
descended  through  a  cow  called  Miss  Foote, 
that  was  from  Fair  Maid,  a  daughter  of  Madame. 

Probably  the  two  best  bulls  used  at  Studley 
were  Pilot  (496),  hired  from  Killerby,  and  Julius 
Csesar  (1 143),  the  latter  a  son  of  Young  Albion  (15) 
out  of  one  of  the  Killerby  Red  Roses  by  Albion 

*  A  writer  in  BelVs  Messenger,  probably  Mr.  William  Housman,  speaking 
of  this  cow,  said:  "A  gentleman  who  has  been  conversant  with  the  herds 
of  Great  Britain  for  at  least  a  quarter  of  a  century  declares  that  one  of  the 
most  interesting  sights  he  ever  saw  at  an  agricultural  exhibition  was  on 
the  show  ground  at  Otley  some  years  ago,  when,  after  the  judging,  the 
famous  Booth  cow  Medora,  by  Ambo,  was  led  around  the  ring,  followed  by 
her  six  daughters,  all  of  them,  as  well  as  the  mother,  decorated  with  prize 
favors.  The  daughters  were  Gulnare,  Haidee  and  Zuleika  (by  Norfolk); 
Victoria  and  Pair  Maid  of  Athens  (by  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax),  and  a  heifer 
named  Myrrha,  by  Buckingham  (2560)." 


66          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

(14).  This  was  called  a  very  evenly-built  bull, 
and  he  proved  exceedingly  prepotent,  a  fact 
which  is  not  surprising  in  view  of  his  strong 
breeding.  He  traced  six  times  to  Thos.  Booth's 
Twin  Brother  to  Ben.  Pilot  proved  a  great 
stock  bull  in  all  three  of  the  Booth  herds.  As 
already  stated,  he  was  also  very  closely  bred:- 
He  was  let  for  a  time  to  Mr.  Rennie,  but  his 
stock  developed  such  extraordinary  merit  that 
he  was  recalled  and  freely  used.  He  was  a 
small,  compact  bull,  much  inclined  to  put  on 
flesh. 

As  already  noted,  the  herd  at  Studley  was 
closed  out  in  1834.  This  step  was  greatly  re- 
gretted in  later  years  by  Mr.  Richard  Booth,  but 
Mrs.  Lawrence,  the  proprietress  ot  Studley,  re- 
quired some  of  the  best  pastures  for  other  pur- 
poses, and  there  seemed  no  other  course  open 
but  a  sale  of  the  herd.  Mr.  Booth  then  retired 
to  Sharrow,  near  Ripon,  until  the  following 
year,  when  he  succeeded  to  his  father's  herd  at 
Warlaby. 

John  Booth  at  Killerby.— In  1819,  upon  the 
occasion  of  the  marriage  of  his  son  John  (brother 
to  Richard),  Mr.  Thomas  Booth  gave  up  Kil- 
lerby and  a  portion  of  the  herd  to  the  former, 
and  removed  to  his  other  farm,  Warlaby,  near 
Northallerton,  taking  with  him  to  that  place 
a  draft  from  the  Fairholme  (or  Blossom)  and 


FOUNDATIONS   OF   THE   BOOTH   HERDS.          67 

the  old  Red  Rose  tribes.    The  Bracelets  were 
all  left  for  the  son  at  Killerby.* 

The  period  extending  from  1820  down  to 
about  1835  was  not  characterized  by  the  same 
widespread  interest  in  Short-horn  breeding 
that  had  prevailed  for  twenty-five  years  pre- 
vious, and  we  are  without  special  particulars 
concerning  the  Killerby  and  Warlaby  stocks 
during  those  years.  Fox-hunting  seemed  of 
more  importance  to  a  goodly  section  of  the 
Yorkshire  farmers  than  the  development  of 
their  herds  of  cattle.  Still  there  were  some 
who  remained  steadfastly  by  the  work  under 
adverse  circumstances,  and  among  these  the 
Messrs.  Booth  and  Mr.  Bates  were  distinguished 
for  their  pertinacity  and  skill.  As  what  may  be 
termed  the  more  modern  history  of  the  Booths 
may  be  said,  therefore,  to  begin  late  in  the 
"  thirties,"  we  will  leave  the  story  of  the  oper- 
ations at  Killerby  and  Warlaby  at  this  point  to 
bring  down  to  a  similar  date  (1835)  the  work 
undertaken  by  Thomas  Bates  and  some  of  his 
contemporaries. 

*  "Killerby  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  of  the  pleasant  homes  of  England. 
It  is  a  substantial  square  manor-houae,  picturesquely  situated  on  a  gentle 
eminence  to  the  south  of  the  river  Swale,  and  twv  miles  from  Catterick,  the 
site  of  the  once  important  Roman  camp  and  city  of  Cataractonium.  The 
house  occupies  the  site  of  the  ancient  castle  of  Killerby,  once  a  stronghold 
of  great  magnitude,  founded  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I,  by  Sir  Brian  Fitzalan, 
Earl  of  Arundel.  It  is  approached  by  a  road  winding  through  verdant  pas- 
tures thrown  together  in  the  form  of  a  park,  adorned  here  and  there  with 
noble  elm  and  walnut  trees.  The  estate  consisted  of  about  600  acres  of 
arable  and  pasture  land."— Carr's  History. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


THOMAS  BATES  AND  THE  DUCHESSES. 

"A  wonderful,  wonderful  man!  He  might 
become  anything — even  Prime  Minister — if  he 
would  not  talk  so  much."  Such  was  Earl  Spen- 
cer's jocular  but  nevertheless  close-fitting  char- 
acterization of  Thomas  Bates.  Conspicuous 
anjong  all  those  who  exercised  powerful  indi- 
vidual influence  upon  the  fortunes  of  the  breed 
after  the  dawn  of  the  nineteenth  century;  par- 
tially contemporary  in  time  with  the  Collings, 
although  much  younger  in  years,  the  unique 
and  interesting  personality  of  Mr.  Bates  was 
first  projected  into  the  field  of  Short-horn  cat- 
tle-breeding about  the  year  1800.  From  the 
date  of  his  death  in  1849  for  a  period  of  about 
a  quarter  of  a  century  cattle  bearing  the  Bates 
blood  were  one  of  the  great  factors  in  the 
Short-horn  trade  not  only  of  England  but  of 
the  United  States  as  well.  During  that  period 
so  great  was  the  demand  for  animals  descend- 
ing from  his  favorite  Duchess  tribe  that  a 
range  of  speculative  values  unheard  of  before 
or  since  was  for  a  time  established,  the  climax 

(68) 


THOS.  BATES,  OF  K1RKLEVINGTON. 

(Reproduced  by  courtesy  of  Cadwallader  John  Bates,  Langley  Castle, 
Northumberland,  England.) 


THOMAS   BATES   AND   THE   DUCHESSES.          69 

being  reached  at  New  York  Mills,  near  Utica, 
N.  Y.,  in  1873,  when  the  fabulous  sum  of 
$40,600  was  bid  for  a  single  specimen  of  that 
family. 

"Duke"  bulls  for  years  held  the  balance  of 
power  in  the  American  Short-horn  breeding 
world,  fashioning  the  type  of  cattle  bred  in  hun- 
dreds of  herds.  On  account,  therefore,  of  the 
far-reaching  influence  exerted  by  them  upon  the 
fortunes  of  the  breed  we  must  devote  consider- 
able space  to  the  story  of  Thomas  Bates  and 
how  he  conceived  and  carried  out  his  pet  plan 
for  the  preservation  of  what  he  believed  to 
be  the  best  of  all  the  early  Short-horn  blood. 
Injudicious  in-and-in  breeding,  the  retention 
for  breeding  purposes  of  all  animals  dropped 
within  the  charmed  circle  of  the  Kirklevington 
tribes,  regardless  of  individual  character,  and 
the  evil  influence  of  certain  reckless  spec- 
ulators, long  since  undermined  the  work  of 
Thomas  Bates;  but  the  main  facts  connected 
with  his  career  and  the  world-wide  popularity 
attained  after  his  death  by  stock  derived  from 
the  Kirklevington  herd  must  ever  possess  a  fas- 
cination for  the  student  of  Short-horn  history. 
Moreover,  they  are  not  without  a  lesson  to  pos- 
terity. 

Early  studies  in  cattle-breeding.— Born  at 
Aydon  Castle,  Northumberland,  in  1775,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-five  Bates  leased  the  extensive 


70          A  HISTOEY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

farm  and  estate  of  Halton  Castle,  a  few  miles 
distant  from  his  birthplace.  This  was  in  the 
Tyneside  country,  just  west  of  Newcastle. 
First  adopting  West  Highland  cattle  for  graz- 
ing and  fattening  purposes  he,  like  many  other 
intelligent  farmers  of  that  day,  was  deeply  im- 
pressed by  the  exhibition  of  fat  Short-horn 
stock  of  the  Colling  blood.  It  appears  that  the 
young  man  had  gained  a  considerable  knowl- 
edge of  the  Teeswater  cattle  before  making  his 
first  investments  in  them.  After  the  fashion 
of  the  time  he  was  in  the  habit  of  visiting  Dar- 
lington on  market  or  "fair "days,  and  there 
met  many  of  the  most  prominent  Short-horn 
breeders  of  the  period.  These  markets  were 
held  on  Mondays  and  provided  an  admirable 
opportunity  for  study  and  comparison.  One 
can  readily  appreciate  the  value  to  a  beginner 
in  breeding  of  such  a  school  as  was  provided  by 
these  Yarm  and  Darlington  fairs.  Mr.  Mason 
of  Chilton,  the  Joblings,  the  Collings,  Maynard 
of  Eryholme,  the  elder  Booth,  and  many  other 
experienced  men  were  in  the  throng  of  those 
who  constituted  the  Short-horn  " Senate"  at 
the  King's  Head  and  the  Black  Bull  Inn. 
Those  market  fairs  of  a  hundred  years  ago, 
from  whence  sprang  the  Royal  and  Smithfield 
Shows,  as  well  as  our  American  State  fairs,  fur- 
nished the  first  great  stimulus  to  Short-horn 
improvement  and  were  the  means  of  enlisting 


THOMAS   BATES   AND   THE   DUCHESSES.          71 

the  interest  of  the  farmers  of  all  England  in 
tne  breed,  a  fact  which  serves  to  emphasize  the 
far-reaching  importance  of  such  events  and  the 
necessity  of  supporting  them  heartily  at  all 
times. 

Bates  was  a  keen  observer  at  the  time  he 
began  frequenting  these  market-places.    The 
heterogeneous  mixture  that  had  up  to  this  time 
constituted  the  old  Teeswater  breed  was  rapidly 
being  fused  into  something  like  a  homogeneous 
type.    The  fires  about  the  refining  crucible  were 
burning  brightly — especially  at  Ketton,  where 
appeal  had  been  made  to  Bakewell's  magic 
power.    Thomas  Bates  watched  the  workmen 
at  their  task;  visited  among  them,  and  finally 
seized  upon  what  fre  regarded  as  the  best  mate- 
rial then  in  the  hands  of  the  master-spirits  in 
the  business.    He  became  quite  intimate  with 
Charles  Colling,  and  usually  stayed  at  Ketton, 
or  with  Mason  of  Chilton,  from  Saturday  night 
to  Monday,  on  the  occasion  of  his  attending 
Darlington  market.    It  was  at  the  great  "  fair  " 
held  at  this  place  on  the  first  Monday  in  March 
in  1799  that  "the  wonderful  Durham  Ox"  was 
exhibited;  but  while  the  great  Colling  steer  was 
astounding  the  gaping  crowd  the  thoughts  of 
the  bright  young  Northumberland  farmer  were 
otherwise  engaged.    Another  beast  of  Ketton 
breeding  was  claiming  his  close  attention.    He 
was  meditating  the  selection  of   foundation 


72          A   HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

stock  for  a  breeding  herd,  and  had  been  espe- 
cially attracted  by  a  roan  heifer  of  the  Duchess 
blood  shown  upon  this  occasion  by  Charles  Col- 
ling. He  doubtless  knew  by  hearsay  of  the  ex- 
cellence of  the  original  Stan  wick  cow  of  that 
name  already  referred  to,  and  his  good  opinion 
of  this  particular  roan  heifer  was  heightened 
by  the  fact  that  he  "thrice  met  Mr.  Thompson, 
a  well-known  judge  of  stock  from  Northum- 
berland," by  her  side  during  the  day. 

The  Durham  Ox  was  got  by  Favorite  (252) 
out  of  a  common  black-and-white  cow  bought 
at  Durham  Fair;  but,  like  his  sire,  the  steer  was 
roan,  a  fact  of  interest,  in  connection  with  the 
bullock's  wonderful  character,  as  foreshadow- 
ing the  prepotency  of  sires  representing  a 
strong  concentration  of  blood.  Among  other 
remarks  heard  by  Mr.  Bates  from  those  who 
were  discussing  the  great  steer  was  one  to  the 
effect  that  the  most  perfect  animals  likely  to  be 
bred  in  the  ensuing  years  would  be  those  sired 
by  Favorite  out  of  Hubback  cows.  This  thought, 
it  is  said,  took  deep  root  in  the  young  man's 
mind  and  governed  him  largely  in  his  subse- 
quent choice  of  breeding  stock. 

Original  investments. — On  May  day,  1800, 
Bates  took  possession  of  the  Halton  Castle  Farm. 
In  March  of  that  year  he  had  bought  hi£  first 
Short-horn.  It  does  not  appear,  however,  as  if 
he  had  at  that  time  made  up  his  mind  fully  as 


THOMAS   BATES   AND   THE    DUCHESSES.          73 

to  which  was  the  best  Colling  blood;  for  this 
initial  purchase  was  a  heifer  sired  by  Ben  out 
of  a  cow  called  Venus,  that  was  an  own  sister 
to  the  roan  two-year-old  heifer  Mary  which 
Colling  sold  to  Gen.  Simson  of  Fifeshire,  Scot- 
land, in  1806  for  300  guineas.  Subsequently 
Bates  changed  his  mind  about  the  blood  of  Ben 
and  expressed  great  aversion  for  it.  This  would 
indicate  that  the  heifer  for  some  reason  did  not 
do  well  at  Halton.  The  great  price  (for  1800) 
of  100  guineas  was  paid  for  her,  the  largest  sum 
Colling  had  up  to  that  time  received  for  a  cow. 
Mr.  Bates  and  his  friends  claimed  that  the  pay- 
ment of  this  fancy  figure  was  a  prime  factor  in 
giving  the  Ketton  stock  prestige  over  the  other 
herds  of  that  period. 

In  the  fall  of  1800  Mr.  Bates  bought  from 
Robert  Colling  some  young  steers  sired  by  Fa- 
vorite (252)  for  feeding  purposes.  He  hired 
Daisy  Bull  (186)  from  Charles  Colling,  and  aft- 
erward bought  him  for  thirty  guineas.  In  1803 
he  hired  Styford  (629)  from  Robert  Colling. 
Both  were  by  Favorite  (252).  Some  West 
Highland  heifers  had  meantime  been  acquired, 
as  Mr.  Bates  at  that  time  believed  that  by  cross- 
ing them  with  good  Short-horn  bulls  feeding 
stock  could  be  obtained  that  would  be  superior 
to  any  but  the  best  types  of  the  Short-horns  of 
that  period.  The  Colling  bulls  named  were 
therefore  obtained  mainly  for  crossing  pur- 


74          A  HISTORY  OF  SHORT-HORN  OATTLE. 

poses.  Both  Daisy  Bull  and  Styford  are  said  to 
have  revealed  clearly  the  Hubback  character  in 
their  hair  and  handling. 

The  Duchess  blood. — About  this  time  a  very 
substantial  legacy  was  received  from  an  aunt, 
and  this  enabled  Mr.  Bates  to  go  on  with  his 
Short-horn  breeding.  For  100  guineas  he 
bought  from  Charles  Colling  in  1804  the  cow 
Duchess,  by  Daisy  Bull  (186),  then  four  years 
old  and  in  calf  to  Favorite.  A  heifer  from  her 
was  also  bargained  for  at  sixty  guineas,  but  at 
Mrs.  Colling's  request  was  given  up  and  returned 
to  Ketton.  In  this  cow  Bates  claimed  to  have 
secured  not  only  the  best  cow  in  England  but 
the  only  one  then  living  running  direct  from 
Hubback  to  Favorite.  He  was  very  anxious  to 
breed  her  to  Mr.  Charles  Colling's  Duke  (224), 
by  Favorite,  then  going  out  on  hire  to  a  Mr. 
Gibson,  and  although  promised  the  service  was 
unable  to  secure  it — a  fact  which  led  to  bad 
blood  between  Bates  and  Colling.  In  1805 
Duchess,  by  Daisy  Bull,  produced  a  bull  calf, 
Ketton  (709),  by  Favorite  (252),  which  was  re- 
tained for  subsequent  service.  She  dropped 
one  heifer,  Baroness,  by  St.  John  (572),  but  be- 
coming a  "shy"  breeder  was  reluctantly  sold 
to  Mr.  Donkin  of  Sanclhoe,  and  as  she  did  not 
in  his  possession  settle  down  to  bulls  of  desired 
form  and  quality  her  other  calves  (all  bulls)  did 
not  carry  the  blood  Mr.  Bates  sought.  She  was 


DUCHESS,  by  DAISY  BULL   (186) ;  tred  by  Chas.  Colling. 


KETTON  1st   (709) ;  bred  by  Chas.  Colling. 


THOMAS   BATES   AND    THE    DUOHESSE8.          75 

always  a  deep,  rich  milker,  making  as  high  as 
14  Ibs.  of  butter  per  week,  and  when  fed  off  at 
seventeen  years  of  age  she  is  said  to  have  made 
an  excellent  carcass  of  beef. 

Bates  had  made  up  his  mind  that  this  Duch- 
ess blood  was  the  most  valuable  strain  in  the 
entire  breed  and  resolved  to  persevere  in  his 
efforts  at  acquiring  it.*  At  the  Ketton  disper- 
sion in  1810  he  bought  Young  Duchess,  a  grand- 
daughter of  Duchess  by  Daisy  Bull,  sired  by 
the  1,000-guinea  bull  Comet  (155),  at  183  guin- 
eas. She  was  evidently  not  one  of  the  best 
individuals  in  that  memorable  sale.  Indeed 
she  was  pronounced  "shabby"'  by  the  whole 
neighborhood  about  Halton,  Mr.  Bates  Sr., 
in  particular,  ridiculing  his  son's  purchase. 
Thomas  relied  upon  her  breeding  and  her  qual- 
ity, however,  and  bided  his  time.  Under  the 
name  of  Duchess  1st  she  proved  the  ancestress 

*In  a  letter  written  to  Mr.  Bailey  in  1810  Bates  said:  "A  heifer  of  this 
Duchess  breed,  being  the  first  calf  got  by  old  Favorite,  weighed  when  little 
more  than  three  years  old  within  six  pounds  of  100  stone,  fourteen  pounds 
to  the  stone,  and  was  allowed  to  be  a  greater  curiosity  than  the  Ketton  ox 
of  the  same  age  when  shown  with  him  at  Darlington  in  the  spring  of  1799. 
The  pedigree  of  Young  Duchess  as  I  received  it  from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Colling 
is  thus:  By  Comet,  dam  by  Favorite;  grandam  by  Daisy  (a  son  or  Favor- 
ite); great-grandam  by  Favorite;  great-great-grandam  by  Hubback;  great- 
great-great-grandam  by  Mr.  Brown's  famous  old  bull  of  Aldbrough.  And 
what  adds  to  the  value  of  this  pedigree  is  that  the  cow  by  Mr.  Brown's  old 
bull  was  as  good  as  any  of  the  tribe  since,  without  her  of  course  being  im- 
proved by  those  bulls  which  have  so  much  benefited  the  other  tribes  of 
Short-horns.  Mrs.  Colling  assured  me  that  this  tribe  has  always  been  the 
best  milking  tribe.  This  Duchess  tribe  is  the  only  instance  now  remaining 
of  the  produce  of  Hubback  being  put  to  Favorite  without  some  other  bull 
intervening,  which  circumstance,  adde'd  to  their  being  a  great  milk-and- 
outter  tribe,  gives  them  a  pre-eminence  over  any  other  tribe  of  Short- 
horna." 


76          A  HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

of  the  far-famed  Duchess  family,  which  ulti- 
mately became  the  highest-priced  and  most- 
widely-sought  tribe  known  in  Short-horn  his- 
tory. He  immediately  began  asserting  with 
characteristic  assurance  the  extreme  value  of 
this  heifer  on  account  of  her  descent,  and  an- 
nounced that  he  would  not  take  £1,000  for  his 
bargain !  Such  was  the  beginning  of  the  Duch- 
ess "boom.*' 

Student,  experimenter  and  exhibitor. — In 
1810,  at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years,  this  ambi- 
tious Northumberland  tenant  farmer  became  a 
student  at  Edinburgh  University — a  fact  which 
should  not  be  without  its  lesson  to  those  who 
at  the  present  day  are  wrestling  with  the  prob- 
lems presented  by  our  modern  agriculture.  His 
course  of  lectures  embraced  not  only  practical 
agriculture  but  mental  and  moral  science.  He 
took  copious  notes  which  have  been  preserved, 
from  which  it  is  clear  he  made  good  use  of  his 
time.  After  his  return  to  Halton  we  find  him 
busy  with  various  farming  and  feeding  opera- 
tions and  experiments  in  the  handling  and  stor- 
ing of  forage  crops.  It  took,  in  his  opinion,  a 
working  capital  of  five  times  the  amount  of 
one's  rent  to  farm  profitably.  At  Halton  he 
employed  a  capital  of  £7,500,  one-half  of  which 
he  had  expended  under  his  twenty-one-year 
lease  in  permanent  improvements,  of  which  he 
only  had  the  benefit  during  the  unexpired  term 


THOMAS    BATES   AND   THE   DUCHESSES.          77 

of  the  lease.  Not  satisfied  with  this  sort  of  a 
situation  he  bought  a  portion  (1,000  acres)  of 
the  manor  of  Kirklevington,  near  Yarm,  in 
Yorkshire,  for  £30,000,  of  which  £20,000  was 
paid  in  cash.  This  property,  then  as  now,  pre- 
sented no  very  nattering  prospect  to  a  good 
farmer.  The  land  is  a  cold  clay,  fairly  good  for 
grass,  but  requiring  careful  management  for 
tillage. 

Mr.  Bates  always  had  regard  for  the  milking 
trait  in  his  cattle,  and  conducted  extended  ex- 
periments to  determine  the  relation  between 
quantity  and  quality  of  milk  and  butter.  It  is 
related  that  the  cow  Duchess,  by  Daisy  Bull, 
"gave 'on  grass  alone  without  other  food  in  the 
summer  of  1807  at  Halton  fourteen  quarts  of 
milk  twice  a  day.  Each  quart  of  milk,  when 
set  up  and  churned  separately,  yielded  one  and 
one-half  ounces  of  butter  or  forty-two  ounces 
a  day.  The  butter  was  made  up  for  the  New- 
castle market  in  ten  and  one-half-ounce  pack- 
ages, which  were  sold  at  one  shilling  each.  The 
skim-milk  was  bought  by  the  laborers  at  a  penny 
a  quart,  and  allowing  two  shillings  for  the  sub- 
traction of  the  cream  this  made  14s.  4d.  a  week. 
Altogther,  therefore,  the  cow  brought  in  more 
than  two  guineas  a  week,''  He  insisted  that 
many  breeders  were  making  a  mistake  in  dis- 
regarding the  dairy  qualities  of  their  cattle,*  a 

*  "On  a  certain  occasion  Mason  of  Chilton  called  to  breakfast  at  Halton 
Barbara  Giles,  the  housekeeper,  had  just  put  the  week's  butter  in  readiness 


78          A  HISTORY  OF  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

point  which  is  not  without  its  practical  appli- 
cation at  the  present  time.  He  was  also  an 
earnest  student  of  feeding  problems,  and  two 
of  his  steers,  "the  brindled  ox"  of  1808  and 
"white  ox"  of  1810,  attracted  much  attention 
and  attested  his  skill  in  that  direction.  He  ex- 
perimented carefully  upon  the  relative  merits 
of  the  systems  of  soiling  and  grazing,  and  in  a 
memorable  address  to  the  Boards  of  Agriculture 
of  the  United  Kingdom  made  a  strenuous  plea 
for  extended  experimentation  as  to  the  various 
breeds  of  live  stock.  It  thus  appears  that 
Thomas  Bates  was  wide-awake  to  the  necessi- 
ties of  his  time  in  relation  to  successful  farm- 
ing, and  in  some  respects  at  least  a  long  way  in 
advance  of  his  contemporaries. 
Bates  was  an  exhibitor  of  cattle  at  the  Tyne- 

for  the  Newcastle  market  on  the  Saturday,  and  Bates  told  him  that  however 
ready  he  was  for  breakfast  he  should  have  none  until  he  had  counted  the 
butter.  There  were  300  half-pounds  to  go  to  the  market,  besides  what  was 
used  in  the  house  and  sold  at  home.  There  were  then  thirty  cows  which 
had  calved,  and  the  butter  sold  for  above  one  shilling'  the  half  pound.  This 
left  more  than  ten  shillings  for  each  cow  in  bvitter  alone,  besides  the  value 
of  the  milk  otherwise  sold,  while  all  the  calves  were  reared  by  the  pail 
and  none  allowed  to  suck.  Had  all  the  milk  been  creamed  and  made  into 
butter  there  would  have  been  twice  the  number  of  pats.  Mason,  thrown 
off  his  guard  at  this  display  of  dairy  produce,  confessed  to  Bates:  "You 
can  go  on  breeding  Short-horns  because  they  pay  you  in  milk,  butter  and 
beef,  but  we  cannot  do  so  unless  we  sell  them  at  high  prices  to  breeders." 
Mason,  as  Bates  plainly  told  him,  was  keeping  at  the  time  three  sets  of 
cows,  one  to  breed  calves  and  then  get  dry  (which  was  no  hard  matter)  in 
order  to  attract  notice  by  their  high  condition,  a  second  as  wet  nurses  to 
rear  the  calves,  and  a  third  to  supply  his  family  with  milk  and  butter. 
"  This,"  Bates  added  many  years  afterward,  '•  IH  a  system  that  would  ruin 
any  man  if  he  had  the  land  rent  free  and  no  outgoings  to  pay,  yet  many  con- 
tinue to  pursue  this  reckless  course  in  order  to  gain  premiums,  attract  pub- 
lic attention  and  gratify  their  vanity  at  the  cost  of  their  pockets."— Farmer's 
Magazine, 


THOMAS    BATES   AND   THE    DUCHESSES.          79 

side  shows,  held  sometimes  thrice  a  year,  from 
their  inception  in  1804,  and  was  successful  at 
every  show  until  that  of  1812,  when  he  consid- 
ered himself  shabbily  treated  by  the  judges. 
So  incensed  was  he  at  the  decisions  here  that 
he  never  afterward  entered  the  show-yard  as  a 
competitor  until  the  York  meeting  of  1838. 

Bulls  first  used  on  the  Duchesses.  —  As 
already  mentioned,  Duchess -by -Daisy  Bull, 
claimed  as  the  best  Short-horn  cow  of  her  time, 
dropped  to  the  cover  of  Favorite  (252)  a  bull 
which  was  named  Ketton  in  honor  of  his  Col- 
ling derivation.  This  was  the  first  bull  of  the 
Duchess  blood  owned  and  used  by  Mr.  Bates, 
and  in  spite  of  his  "close"  breeding  was  a 
beast  of  strong  constitution  and  possessed  of 
the  refinement  and  character  so  earnestly 
sought.*  He  was  undoubtedly  a  good  bull,  al- 
though his  portrait — drawn  in  1814 — would  in- 
dicate some  prominence  of  hip  and  lightness  of 
flank.  He  was  red-and-white  and  remained 

*  More  than  sixty  years  afterward  Mr.  William  Charlton,  who  had  lived 
near  Bates  and  ultimately  settled  at  Sutton  in  Essex,  wrote:  "I  think  I  can 
see  the  grand  old  animal  standing  in  the  bull  park  with  his  fine  head  and 
placid  countenance,  his  beautifully-arched  neck,  his  deep  and  roomy  chest, 
his  short  and  wide-spread  legs,  his  handsome  shoulders  and  full  crops,  his 
long,  straight  and  level  back,  his  heavy  flank  and  deep  ribs,  his  well- 
formed,  beautiful  quarters  and  heavy  thighs,  and  his  tail  so  nicely  set  as  to 
give  symmetry  to  his  whole  frame.  How  oft  on  my  youthful  mind  was 
impressed  the  idea  that  I  should  never  see  his  like  again!  His  image  was 
so  imprinted  upon  my  memory  that  whenever  I  began  to  examine  a  prize 
bull  Ketton  came  full  in  view,  and  then  many  defects  were  soon  prominent. 
Still,  although  Mr.  Bates  used  Ketton  for  so  many  years,  a  Duchess  heifer 
or  bullock  could  easily  be  picked  out  of  his  herd.  There  was  something  in 
their  very  countenance  and  in  their  prominent  gait,  and,  above  all,  in  their 
superior  touch  like  none  else.  In  that  last  quality  they  had  no  equals." 


80          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

seven  years  in  service.  This  is  the  bull  of  which 
"Tommy"  Thompson,  the  cowman,  said,  "he 
never  got  a  middling  calf" — all  were  regarded 
as  above  the  average. 

From  1816  to  1820  the  bulls  Ketton  2d  (710) 
and  Ketton  3d  (349)  (the  former  a  son  and  the 
latter  a  grandson  of  Ketton  1st)  were  used,  but 
their  get  were  not  equal  to  the  progeny  of  the 
son  of  the  old  Duchess  cow.  Ketton  2d  was 
out  of  an  unnamed  cow  by  a  grandson  of  Fa- 
vorite; second  dam  by  J.  Brown's  Red  Bull,  but 
Ketton  3d  was  a  Duchess,  sired  by  Ketton  2d 
out  of  Duchess  3d  by  Ketton  1st;  second  dam 
Duchess  1st  by  Comet.  The  earnestness  with 
which  Mr.  Bates  adopted  the  Bakewell  scheme 
of  in-and-in  breeding  is  here  apparent.  He  nev- 
ertheless tried  the  experiment  of  breeding  to 
Marske  (418),  then  thirteen  years  old,  a  roan  of 
Colling  blood  that  Maynard  had  bought  at  the 
Barmpton  sale.  This  brought  in  a  dash  of  good 
fresh  blood.  Although  Marske  was  a  son  of 
Favorite  (252)  his  dam  was  Robert  Colling's 
noted  cow  Old  Bright  Eyes,  that  gave  fifteen 
quarts  of  milk  twice  per  day.  Bates  had  owned 
a  sister  to  Marske  for  some  years,  and  regarded 
the  family  as  one  of  the  best  of  the  day — al- 
ways of  course  excepting  his  favorite  Duch- 
esses. The  Marske  cows,  however,  did  not 
fully  meet  his  expectations,  and  he  sent  Duch- 
ess 3d,  by  Ketton  1st,  to  Donkin's  to  be  bred  to 


THOMAS    BATES   AND   THE   DUCHESSES.         81 

Duke  (226),  the  Duchess  bull  by  Favorite.  This 
was  getting  back  direct  to  the  highly-prized 
blood,  and  Bates  spoke  to  Lord  Althorpe  of  this 
mating  as  "the  only  hope  of  the  Short-horns."* 
When  we  recall  the  fact  that  the  fruits  of  a 
long  period  of  careful  breeding  were  at  that 
time  in  the  hands  of  contemporary  breeders  we 
have  in  this  remark  a  characteristic  illustration 
of  the  arrogant  position  Mr.  Bates  was  wont 
to  assume  in  reference  to  his  own  cattle. 
So  persistently  did  he  assert  their  superiority 
that  his  claims,  together  with  the  admitted 
merit  of  his  stock,  at  length  began  to  make 
an  impression.!  Lord  Althorpe  became  one  of 
his  patrons,  hiring  the  young  Duchess  bull  His 
Grace  (311)  for  service  at  Wiseton.  Mr.  Whit- 

*  "  I  will  give  you  fifty  guineas  for  the  chance,  calf  or  no  calf,"  said  Lord 
Althorpe.  "  I  would  not  take  200  guineas  for  the  chance,"  was  Bates'  reply. 
In  response  to  Lord  Althorpe's  invitation  Bates  stayed  at  Wiseton  for  the 
Doncaster  meeting  of  1820.  As  the  party  were  leaving  the  dining-room  after 
dessert  Lord  Althorpe,  turning  to  one  of  his  friends,  said  of  Bates:  "  Won- 
derful man!  Wonderful  man!  He  might  become  anything,  even  Prime  Min- 
ister, if  he  would  not  talk  so  much." 

t  James  Fawcett  of  Scaleby  Castle  gave  this  description  of  the  Duchesses 
about  this  date:  "The  character  of  the  Duchesses  at  this  time  was  that  of 
good  and  handsome  wide-spread  cows,  with  broad  backs,  projecting  loins 
and  ribs,  short  legs  and  prominent  bosoms.  The  head  was  generally,  in- 
clined rather  to  be  short  and  wide  than  long  and  narrow,  with  full  clear 
eyes  and  muzzle,  the  ears  rather  long  and  hairy,  the  horns  of  considerable 
length  but  of  froe,  waxy  quality.  They  were  good  milkers,  and  had  for  the 
most  part  a  robust,  healthy  appearance.  Their  color  was  almost  uniformly 
red,  with,  in  many  of  them,  a  tendency  to  white  about  the  flank.  They  had 
also  generally  what  Mr.  Bates  called  the  Duchess  spot  of  white  above  the 
nostril.  A  strange  anomaly  occurred  in  the  case  of  Duchess  6th.  I  recol- 
lect her  being  calved.  She  was  very  handsome  and  of  the  most  orthodox 
color,  but  with  a  round  spot  of  several  inches  on  the  flank,  of  the  deepest 
black.  Whether  this  indicated  a  harking  back  to  some  ancestral  Highland 
alloy  or  a  freak  of  the  cow's  imagination  is  a  curious  question." 


82  A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

aker  had  hired  Ketton  3d  and  subsequently  ex- 
changed him  to  Lord  Althorpe  for  His  Grace. 

From  Halton  to  Ridley  Hall. — Although  the 
Kirklevington  property  had  been  bought  in 
1811,  the  lease  of  Halton  did  not  expire  until 
1821,  and  Mr.  Bates  continued  in  possession 
there  until  that  date.  Either  because  he  was 
loath  to  leave  Northumberland,  or  because  his 
Kirklevington  land  had  not  yet  been  brought 
into  the  desired  state  of  fertility,  he  purchased 
Ridley  Hall  on  the  South  Tyne,  to  which  he 
removed  from  Halton  in  May,  1821.  In  a  let- 
ter written  to  Jonas  Whitaker  in  1822  Bates 
said: 

"I  have  now  two  bulls  (The  Earl  and  Duke  2d)  by  Duke  out  of 
Duchess  3d,  the  dam  of  Ketton  3d,  and  a  heifer  by  Marske  (Duch- 
ess 7th)  out  of  the  same  cow  and  bulled  by  The  Earl,  and  for  the 
three  I  would  not  take  3,000  guineas,  bad  as  times  are  for  farmers. 
Old  Ketton 's  stock  were  the  up-making  of  me,  and  now  that  I 
have  again  got  the  blood  pure  of  other  mixtures  I  shall  never  again 
part  with  it  for  any  other  tribe  of  Short-horns  I  have  ever  seen." 

The  "hope  of  the  Short-horns"  proved  to  be 
a  bull  which  was  named  The  Earl  (646)  and 
used  extensively  for  four  or  five  years  at  Ridley 
Hall.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son  2d  Hub- 
back  (1423).  This  bull  was  bred  from  a  cow 
called  Acklam  Red  Rose  (or  Red  Rose  1st),  of 
Colling  derivation,  that  Bates  had  bought  from 
a  Mr.  Hustler,  and  he  grew  into  what  is  said  to 
have  been  the  best  of  all  the  earlier  bulls  used 
in  the  herd.  His  dam  (from  whom  the  Cam- 
bridge Roses  and  the  American  Rose  of  Shar- 


THOMAS   BATES  AND  THE   DUCHESSES.         83 

ons  descended)  possessed  old  Hubback's  hand- 
ling quality.  He  was  a  light-red  bull  said  to 
have  been  remarkably  perfect  in  his  points 
and  evenly  and  smoothly  fleshed.  His  stock 
were  uniform  in  shape,  color,  hair  and  handling, 
"  as  well  as  in  countenance."  His  heifers  all 
proved  good  milkers.  We  have  in  his  case 
another  illustration  of  the  fact  that  strongly  - 
bred  sires  very  often  get  their  best  stock  from 
cows  not  bred  "in  line."  Certain  it  is  that  The 
Earl's  best  calf  was  2d  Hubback  from  a  Red 
Rose  dam,  none  of  the  bull  calves  from  the 
Duchesses  equaling  him.* 

It  is  said  that  while  at  Ridley  Hall  Bates  took 
no  steps  to  bring  his  herd  before  the  public. 
He  rarely  let  any  bulls  and  kept  no  bull  calves 
except  those  he  thought  he  might  require  for 
himself  or  which  his  friends  desired  for  their 
own  herds.  He  used  the  knife  freely  and  fed 
off  his  steers,  as  well  as  such  cows  and  heifers 
as  did  not  settle  down  to  breeding  at  an  early 
age.  Many  a  good  female  was  undoubtedly 
thus  sacrificed.  He  never  had  calves  born  dur- 
ing the  three  summer  months.  He  very  seldom 
sent  any  fat  cattle  to  the  market.  The  princi- 


*2d  Hubback's  measurements  at  eight  years  old  have  been  handed  down 
as  follows :  Girth  at  crops,  8  feet ;  girth  at  ribs,  9  feet  3  Inches ;  girth  hooks 
over  thick  of  flank,  8  feet  4  inches;  breadth  of  hooks,  2  feet  6  inches  plumb; 
length  from  breast  plumb  to  tail,  6  feet;  length  of  rumps,  2  feet;  length 
from  breast  to  crops,  2  feet;  length  from  crops  to  hooks,  2  feet;  girth  of 
fore  leg  below  the  knee,  8  inches;  girth  of  horn  at  root  next  the  head,  8 
inches. 


84          A  HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HOEN  CATTLE. 

pal  butchers  in  Newcastle  and  Shields  came  to 
buy  his  stock  at  home. 

Removal  to  Kirklevington.— May  1,  1830, 
Mr.  Bates  transferred  his  residence  and  breed- 
ing operations  from  Ridley  Hall — which  he  had 
sold — to  Kirklevington;  included  in  the  herd, 
which  was  driven  across  country,  being  "fifty 
cows  and  heifers  by  2d  Hubback,  all  as  alike  as 
beans  and  leaving  a  great  impression  wherever 
they  passed."  2d  Hubback  was  let  the  following 
year  to  Whitaker,  and,  disappointed  in  the  de- 
velopment of  a  yearling  bull  from  Duchess  22d 
that  he  had  intended  to  use,  Bates  bought  from 
Whitaker  for  100  guineas  the  bull  Gambler 
(2046)  by  Bertram  (1716),  a  bull  of  Colling's  Old 
Daisy  tribe  that  had  just  been  sold  to  Col. 
Powell  for  shipment  to  America.  Gambier's 
dam  was  of  the  Western  Comet  or  Gentle 
Kitty  blood.  Gambier  did  not  satisfy  Bates  as 
a  stock-getter,  and  hearing  of  Mr.  Stephenson's 
roan  bull  of  the  old  Princess  blood  he  went  to 
see  him. 

Belvedere  (1706)  of  the  Princess  blood.— In 
the  accepted  accounts  of  the  purchase  of  this 
bull  we  have  a  striking  example  of  Mr.  Bates' 
supreme  self-confidence.  He  believed  in  the 
Hubback  and  Duchess  blood  above  everything 
else.  He  claimed  he  had  founded  his  herd 
upon  the  best  cow  of  the  breed  in  her  day. 
He  had  been  successful  with  Ketton  1st  and  The 


THOMAS   BATES  AND   THE   DUCHESSES.         85 

Earl,  both  Duchess  bulls,  and  with  2d  Hubback, 
son  of  a  Duchess  bull,  but  had  little  luck  with 
sires  tried  from  other  sources.  The  tribe  was 
now  very  closely  bred  and  he  seemed  at  a  loss 
to  know  how  to  proceed.  He  had  up  to  1831 
bred  but  thirty-two  Duchess  cows  in  as  many 
years.  In  brief  the  tribe  had  not  been  prolific, 
and  whenever  cows  passed  over  a  year  or  two 
he  fed  them  off.  He  would  not  admit  that 
other  contemporary  bloods  were  worthy  of 
being  crossed  upon  his  Duchesses.  He  had 
spoken  his  mind  freely  concerning  the  breed- 
ing of  nearly  all  the  other  herds  of  the  district 
and  had  awakened  many  antagonisms.  He 
would  not  use  anything  that  carried  the  so- 
called  "alloy"  blood.  In  short  he  was  seri- 
ously hampered  in  his  search  for  sires  by  rea- 
son of  the  fact  that  he  had  "blacklisted"  nearly 
all  the  available  material.  At  the  same  time 
he  now  required  fresh  blood. 

He  had  long  held  in  respect  the  old  Robert 
Colling  Princess  strain.  The  original  cow  of 
that  name  carried  a  double  cross  of  Favorite 
on  top  of  Hubback.  This  was  a  combination 
which  in  his  radical  opinion  constituted  a 
prime  source  of  Short-horn  excellence.  He 
was  not  aware  that  any  bull  descending  direct 
from  this  base  without  admixture  of  (to  him) 
objectionable  blood  was  at  that  late  date  ob- 
tainable. By  chance,  however,  he  learned  that 


86          A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

John  Stephenson  of  Wolviston  had  a  roan  bull 
so  descended,  and  he  lost  no  time  in  looking 
him  up.  His  purchase  of  Duchess  1st  at  the 
Ketton  sale  on  account  of  her  breeding  rather 
than  her  individual  merit  illustrated  his  unfal- 
tering faith  in  the  doctrine  that  "blood  will 
tell."  With  this  case  in  mind  it  is  reasonably 
certain,  in  view  of  the  trouble  he  was  now  in 
with  his  Duchesses,  that  Bates  went  over  to 
Wolviston  prepared  to  buy  this  precious  Prin- 
cess bull — "the  last  of  a  long  race  of  well-de- 
scended Short-horns" — fairly  regardless  of  the 
appearance  of  the  animal  himself.  At  any  rate 
we  are  told  that  on  passing  by  the  bull-barn 
the  "head  of  Belvedere  (1706) — for  such  was  his 
name  and  herd-book  number — was  visible,  and 
that  the  moment  Bates  caught  sight  of  it  he 
expressed  a  positive  determination  to  secure 
the  bull.  Not  every  man  will  buy  a  breeding 
bull  solely  for  the  blood  that  flows  in  his  veins. 
Still  less  would  the  average  man  be  likely  to 
settle  so  important  a  matter  by  a  mere  glimpse 
of  a  bull's  countenance.  Bates  had  his  own 
peculiar  ideas  about  breeding,  however.  He 
was  not  governed  by  the  ordinary  rules  observed 
by  his  contemporaries,  and  his  swift  decision 
to  buy  at  any  price  this  roan  bull  at  Wolviston 
— evidently  made  as  soon  as  Stephenson  had 
told  him  how  Belvedere  was  bred,  and  before 
he  had  seen  the  bull  at  all — may  be  cited  as 


THOMAS   BATES   AND   THE  DUCHESSES.         87 

one  of  the  instances  where  he  manifested  real 
genius  as  a  cattle-breeder.  Belvedere's  sire, 
Waterloo  (2816),  and  dam,  Angelina  2d,  were 
own  brother  and  sister;  the  pedigree  therefore 
represented  an  extraordinary  concentration  of 
the  blood  of  old  Princess*  and  Favorite  (252). 

There  was  really  something  of  a  bull  went 
with  that  head  and  pedigree.  Belvedere  was 
six  years  old  at  the  time  Bates  bought  him. 
Stephenson  was  allowed  to  name  his  own  price 
and  was  modest  enough  to  place  it  at  £50.  This 
occurred  June  22,  1831.  The  next  day  the  bull 
was  driven  to  Kirklevington.  No  sooner  had 
Bates  got  him  than  he  announced  that  he  would 
by  the  union  of  the  Princess  and  Duchess  blood 
produce  * '  Short-horns  such  as  the  world  h as  never 
seen,"  and  in  the  opinion  of  some  capable  judges 
he  very  nearly  made  good  his  boast.  The  bull 
with  which  he  boldly  proclaimed  he  would  make 
the  "hit"  of  his  life  as  a  breeder  was  a  big  one, 
possessing  extreme  length  and  heavy  shoulders, 

*  The  Princess  cow  had  been  bought  originally  from  Robert  Colling  by 
Sir  Henry  Vane  Tempest  at  the  reputed  great  price  of  700  guineas.  Sir 
Henry's  widow,  the  Countess  of  Antrim,  had  the  cow  bought  at  the  Wyn- 
yard  sale  in  1813,  and  sent  her  to  Barmpton  to  be  bred  to  the  bull  Wellington 
(680),  a  son  of  Comet  (156).  Colling  told  her  agent  that  he  "  never  allowed 
any  gentleman's  cows  "  to  be  served  by  his  bull,  and  so  could  not  comply 
with  Lady  Antrim's  request.  The  agent  of  the  Countess  started  to  return 
to  Wynyard,  when  Colling's  servant  came  running  after  him  to  say  that  he 
had  told  his  master  that  Princess  was  not  a  geritleman's  cow  but  a  lady's, 
and  that  Colling  was  so  amused  at  the  sly  intercession  that  he  at  once 
waived  his  rule  upon  the  point  of  giving  his  bull's  services  to  other  breed- 
ers and  would  permit  Princess  to  be  bred.  The  thrifty  Yorkshire  man, 
however,  did  not  permit  his  gallantry  to  prevent  his  charging  her  ladyship 
ten  g-ood  guineas  for  the  service.  The  produce  of  this  coupling  was  the 
bull  Young  Wynyard,  sire  of  Waterloo  (2816). 


88  A   HISTORY   OF  SHOKT-HORN   CATTLE. 

but  was  a  yellow-roan,  evidently  full  of  quality; 
"soft  as  a  mole  to  the  touch."  He  had  the 
"hot-blood  temper"  of  his  sire  Waterloo,  and 
it  took  three  men  to  get  him  safely  started  off 
down  Sandy  Lane  the  morning  he  left  Ste- 
phenson's  to  begin  the  work  of  regenerating 
the  Duchesses. 

The  breeding  of  bulls  to  their  own  dams  or 
daughters  was  a  common  occurrence  at  Kirk- 
levington  prior  to  the  time  of  Belvedere.  None 
but  inbred  Duchess  bulls  had  been  used  upon 
cows  of  this  favorite  family  except  Marske 
(418),  of  the  Bright  Eyes  blood,  and  2d  Hub- 
back,  by  the  Duchess  bull  The  Earl  (646)  out 
of  Hustler's  Red  Rose.  The  cross  of  Belvedere 
upon  the  Duchess  and  other  tribes  which  Mr. 
Bates  had  meantime  acquired  proved  the  sound- 
ness of  his  judgment.  The  Princess  bull  was 
used  extensively  until  twelve  years  old  and 
then  slaughtered.  This  was  in  1837.  He  did 
much  for  the  herd,  siring,  among  other  noted 
animals,  the  famous  Duchess  34th,  which,  bred 
back  to  her  own  sire,  gave  Mr.  Bates  his  great- 
est bull— Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940).  The 
Duke  was  but  two  years  old  at  the  time  Belvo= 
dere  was  sent  off,  so  that  an  elder  son  of  Bel- 
vedere—Short Tail  (2621),  from  Duchess  29th 
(and  said  to  have  been  a  better  bull  than  hie 
sire) — was  placed  in  service.  His  dam,  Duchess 
29th,  was  got  by  2d  Hubback  out  of  one  of 


THOMAS   BATES   AND   THE   DUCHESSES.          89 

that  bull's  own  daughters,  Duchess  19th,  so 
that  the  practice  of  breeding  from  close  affini- 
ties went  steadily  on. 

The  cross  of  Whitaker's  Norfolk.— In  1834 
Felix  Renick  and  his  colleagues,  representing 
the  Ohio  Importing  Co.,  visited  England  to  buy 
Short-horns.  Bates  showed  them  every  atten- 
tion and  offered  them  some  of  his  best  cows 
and  heifers,  including  Duchess  34th.  He  seems 
to  have  indulged  his  loquacity  to  its  fullest 
extent  upon  his  American  visitors,  tendering 
advice  freely  as  to  the  other  English  herds  of 
that  period.  Among  other  characteristic  "point- 
ers" given  was  one  to  the  effect  that  Belve- 
dere's sire,  Waterloo  (2816).  then  in  his  six- 
teenth year,  and  Norfolk  (2377)  were  "the  only 
two  bulls  besides  Belvedere  that  were  in  the 
least  likely  to  get  good  stock."  What  the 
Americans  bought  on  this  memorable  visit  will 
be  dealt  with  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

Norfolk  (2377),  a  handsome  roan  bull,  was 
then  but  two  years  old.  He  had  been  bred  by 
Mr.  Whitaker  and  sold  to  Mr.  F.  H.  Fawkes  of 
Farnley  Hall.  His  sire  was  Mr.  Bates'  2d  Hub- 
back,  and  his  dam  Nonpareil  by  Magnet  (2240), 
running  down  through  the  Colling  blood  to  a 
Hubback  cow  at  the  base.  That  Bates  was  sin- 
cere in  his  advice  to. the  Americans  cannot 
be  doubted,  for  shortly  afterward  he  sent  five 
of  his  own  best  cows  to  be  bulled  by  Norfolk. 


90  A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

But  three  of  these  stood  to  the  service — to-wit. : 
Duchess  33d,  Waterloo  and  Blanche — which 
circumstance  was  regarded  by  Mr.  Bates  at  the 
time  as  fortunate,  the  immediate  result  not 
proving  satisfactory.  This  paralleled  the  sub- 
sequent experience  of  John  Booth  in  breeding 
Bracelet  to  Mussulman ;  but,  as  in  the  case  of 
Booth's  Buckingham,  when  the  percentage  of 
fresh  blood  was  reduced  so  that  it  was  quite 
subordinated  to  the  main  current,  its  stimulat- 
ing effect  became  apparent.  The  heifer  Duchess 
38th,  dropped  by  Duchess  33d  to  Norfolk,  gave 
rise  to  the  entire  Thorndale,  Geneva  and  Oneida 
Duchess  groups;  and  the  Norfolk- Waterloo 
heifer  founded  a  family  that  has  occupied  a 
prominent  place  in  the  progress  of  the  breed. 
Norfolk  was  individually  one  of  the  great  bulls 
of  his  time,  and  as  he  was  a  son  of  2d  Hubback 
his  character  supplied  striking  proof  of  the 
value  of  Bates  bulls  for  service  in  other  herds. 
He  kad  substance,  flesh  and  a  heavy  coat  of 
hair,  showing  greater  thickness  and  compact- 
ness of  conformation  than  Belvedere. 

The  Matchem  Cow  and  the  Oxfords, — In 
April,  1831,  Mr.  Bates  had  attended  a  sale  of 
"improved"  Short-horn  cattle,  held  by  a  Mr. 
John  Brown  of  Nunstainton,  near  Chilton,  in 
the  County  of  Durham,  and  bought  seventeen 
cows  and  heifers  at  an  average  of  £9  5s.  Among 
these  was  a  white  four-year-old  by  Matchem 


MR.  BATES'  CLEVELAND  LAD   (3407)   AT  FIVE 
YEARS  OLD. 


WHITAKER'S  NORFOLK  (2377),  AT  FIVE  YEARS  OLD. 


THOMAS   BATES   AND   THE   DUCHESSES.         91 

(2281),  for  which  he  paid  £15  10s.  Bates  called 
her  Matchem  Cow.  Her  sire  was  the  same 
Mason-bred  bull  whose  blood  had  been  previ- 
ously introduced  into  the  Booth  herd  at  Kil- 
lerby.  Her  dam  was  by  the  Princess  bull  Young 
Wynyard  (2859).  Her  breeding  back  of  this 
has  not  been  traced,  but  she  must  have  shown 
conclusive  evidence  of  pure  Short-horn  de- 
scent; for,  as  has  been  well  said  of  Mr.  Bates, 
"  he  trusted  very  much  to  the  evidence  of  his 
eye,  which,  considering  the  subsequent  excel- 
lence of  his  stock  and  the  great  impulse  of  de- 
cided improvement  they  have  given  to  all  cattle 
with  which  they  have  come  to  be  paired,  must 
have  had  within  it  the  light  of  decided  genius." 
At  nine  years  of  age  Matchem  Cow  produced  at 
Kirklevington  a  bull  by  Short  Tail  (2621),  and 
in  1838  another  by  the  same  sire.  These  two 
roan  bulls,  recorded  as  Cleveland  Lad  (3407) 
and  Cleveland  Lad  2d  (3408),  were  used  in  the 
herd  and  constituted  the  Oxford  outcross  upon 
the  Duchesses.  Bates  had  always  denounced 
the  Mason  blood,  with  which  the  Matchem  Cow 
was  doubtless  well  filled,  but  the  progeny  of  the 
cow  by  his  own  bulls  satisfied  him  nevertheless, 
and  the  Cleveland  Lads  were  not  only  used  as 
stock  bulls,  but  her  daughters,  Oxford  Premium 
Cow  and  Oxford  2d,  were  retained  and  became 
the  ancestresses  of  the  tribe  since  known  as  the 


92  A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Oxfords.     The  line  of  the  former  has  now  been 
extinct  for  many  years. 

A  show-yard  disappointment. — Mr.  Bates 
sent  seven  head  of  cattle  to  the  newly-estab- 
lished Yorkshire  Show  in  1838,  headed  by  the 
two-year-old  double-Belvedere  Duchess  bull 
Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940),  and  including 
a  pair  of  two-year-old  Duchess  heifers,  Duch- 
esses 41st  and  42d,  both  by  Belvedere;  a  year- 
ling Duchess  heifer,  Duchess  43d,  also  with  a 
double  dip  of  Belvedere;  the  roan  four-year-old 
cow  Red  Rose  13th,  by  Belvedere;  the  white 
three-year-old  cow  Short-horns  4th,  by  Belve- 
dere, and  a  three-year-old  from  the  Matchem 
Cow,  got  by  Duke  of  Cleveland  (1937),  a  bull 
that  had  been  dropped  by  Duchess  26th  to  a 
service  by  Mr.  Whitaker's  Bertram  (1 716).  The 
Duke  of  Northumberland  received  first  in  his 
class  against  eight  competitors,  but  was  passed 
over  entirely  in  the  bull  championship  contest; 
first  prize  in  a  ring  of  fifteen  entries  going 
to  Earl  Spencer's  Hecatomb  (2102),  of  Mason 
blood,  and  second  to  Mr.  Wiley's  Carcase  (3285), 
afterward  imported  to  America.  This  was  a 
hard  blow,  and  it  was  contended  by  Mr.  Bates 
that  Mr.  John  Grey,  the  judge,  was  improperly 
influenced  by  being  beholden  to  Earl  Spencer 
for  substantial  business  favors.  With  his  fe* 
males,  however,  Mr.  Bates  was  more  successful. 
In  the  aged-cow  class  (entries  to  be  in  calf  or 


THOMAS    BATES   AND   THE    DUCHESSES.          93 

in  milk)  Red  Rose  18th  was  passed  over,  the 
ribbon  going  to  John  Ceiling's  Rosanne.  In 
the  three-year-old  ring  (also  in  calf  or  in  milk) 
Short-horns  4th — a  fine  dairy  cow — was  first 
and  the  Matchem  heifer  second  in  a  class  of 
six.  In  a  class  of  ten  two-year-old  heifers 
Duchess  41st  won,  and  in  yearling  heifers 
(eight)  Duchess  42d  was  second.  These  ratings 
did  not  satisfy  Mr.  Bates.  He  felt  that  his 
three  best  animals,  "The  Duke,"  Red  Rose  13th 
and  Duchess  43d,  had  been  rejected  unfairly. 
He  therefore  determined  to  show  at 

The  Oxford  Royal  of  1839.— When  the  time 
came  Red  Rose  18th  was  not  in  a  fit  condition 
to  travel,  so  Duke  of  Northumberland  and 
Duchess  43d  were  started  along  with  Duchess 
42d  and  the  Matchem  heifer.  They  were 
shipped  by  steamer  from  Middlesbrough  to 
London.* 

This  was  the  first  meeting  of  the  English 
National  Show.  The  exhibition  was  held  upon 
the  farm  of  Mr.  John  Pinfold,  and  the  entries 
were  not  numerous.  The  Kirklevington  cattle 
were  the  center  of  attraction  in  the  Short-horn 
class,  and  Mr.  Bates  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 

*  "  Bates  went  with  them  in  the  same  steamship  from  Middlesbrough  to 
London  and  himself  saw  to  their  treatment.  In  landing  at  London  Duke  of 
Northumberland  slipped'  and  lay  across  the  gangway.  Bates  patted  him 
on  the  head,  calling  him  -poor  boy,  poor  boy,  and  the  huge  animal  re- 
mained perfectly  passive  until  he  was  rescued.  Fortunately  The  Duke  re- 
ceived no  injury.  The  four  Short-horns  proceeded  from  London  in  a 
freight  boat  by  the  Aylesbury  branch  of  the  Grand  Junction  Canal,  '— Vadr 
wallader  Bates. 


94  A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Duke  of  Northumberland  head  a  list  of  seven 
bulls;  the  Matchem  Cow's  daughter  a  class  of 
four;  Duchess  42d  a  class  of  three  two-year- 
olds,  and  Duchess  43d  a  class  of  nine  yearlings. 
That  these  were  a  beautiful  lot  of  Short-horns 
is  amply  attested.  Mr.  George  Drewry,  the  late 
veteran  herd  manager  of  the  Duke  of  Devon- 
shire at  Holker  Hall,  writing  after,  a  lapse  of 
fifty  y^ars,  said:  "The  two  things  that  I  re- 
member best  at  Oxford  were  the  Duke  of  North- 
umberland and  Duchess  43d.  These  I  still 
think  were  the  best  two  Short-horns  I  ever 
saw."  In  honor  of  the  young  Matchem  Cow's 
victory  upon  this  occasion  she  was  dubbed  the 
"Oxford  Premium  Cow" — hence  the  tribal  name. 
At  a  dinner  given  in  the  quadrangle  of  Queen's 
College  during  this  show  Daniel  Webster,  who 
was  a  visitor  at  the  exhibition,  said,  in  a  speech 
which  held  closely  the  attention  of  the  audi- 
ence: 

"In  the  country  to  which  I  belong  societies  like  this  exist  on  a 
small  scale  in  many  parts,  and  they  have  been  found  to  be  very 
highly  beneficial  and  advantageous.  They  give  rewards  for  speci- 
mens of  fine  animals  and  the  improvement  of  implements  of  hus- 
bandry which  may  tend  to  facilitate  the  art  of  agriculture,  and 
which  were  not  before  known.  They  turn  their  attention  to  every- 
thing which  tends  to  improve  the  state  of  the  farmer,  and,  I  may 
add,  among  other  means  of  advancing  his  condition,  that  they  have 
imported  largely  to  America  from  the  best  breeds  of  animals  in 
England,  and  from  the  gentleman  who  has  been  so  fortunate  as  to 
take  so  many  prizes  to-day.  From  his  stock,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Ohio  and  its  tributary  streams,  I  have  seen  fine  animals  raised 
which  have  been  supplied  from  his  farms  in  Yorkshire  and  North- 
umberland." 


THOMAS   BATES   AND   THE   DUCHESSES.          95 

Prizes  at  Cambridge,  —Having,  as  he  thought, 
vindicated  the  honor  of  his  Duchesses  at  Ox- 
ford, Mr.  Bates  decided  not  to  risk  fitting  and 
showing  any  of  them  "the  following  year.  Still 
smarting  under  the  defeat  of  Red  Rose  13th  at 
York,  he  sent  her  to  the  Royal  at  Cambridge, 
along  with  Cleveland  Lad  (3407)  and  a  young 
Waterloo  bull  calf  by  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land. Red  Rose  here  had  her  revenge,  winning 
first  in  a  class  of  six  cows.  Her  name  was  then 
changed  to  Cambridge  Premium  Cow.  The 
Waterloo  calf  also  won,  but  Cleveland  Lad  was 
turned  down,  the  prize  falling  to  Hero  (4021),  a 
roan  owned  in  Norfolk;  a  bull  which  Cadwal- 
lader  Bates  asserts  was  "never  heard  of  before 
nor  since."*  His  picture  may  be  found  in 
Coates'  Herd  Book,  Vol.  IV.  Cleveland  Lad 
had  not  been  specially  fitted  for  show;  and  fat, 
then  as  now,  was  a  prime  necessity.  The  prizes 
won  by  the  Kirklevington  cattle  at  the  two 
great  university  cities  led  to  many  inquiries 
for  the  blood. 

A  "brush"  with  the  Booths.— In  1841  Cleve- 
land Lad  was  sent  to  the  Liverpool  Royal  alone, 
he  being  the  only  member  of  the  show  herds 
left  without  "vindication";  and  he  was  there 
placed  by  the  judges  at  the  head  of  the  bulls 

*  It  is  related  that  "a  gentleman  came  up  to  Bates  in  the  show-yard  and 
said:  'Had  I  been  blindfolded  I  could  have  told  all  of  your  cattle  by  the 
feel  of  my  fingers.'  'As  the  stewards  of  the  yard  hear  your  remarks,  I 
hope  in  the  future  the  judges  will  be  blindfolded,'  was  Bates'  reply." 


96  A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

on  exhibition.  That  same  season  Mr.  Bates 
sent  Oxford  Premium  Cow  to  the  Highland  at 
Berwick,  but  she  was  beaten  by  John  Booth's 
Necklace  on  the  ground  that  the  Bates  cow 
was  "  deficient  in  girth  and  gaudy  behind." 
He  also  showed  at  the  Yorkshire  of  1841, 
receiving  the  bull  championship  on  Cleveland 
Lad.  Duke  of  Cambridge — the  Waterloo  calf 
shown  in  1840 — here  won  first  as  a  yearling 
over  a  young  bull  from  Killerby  and  others. 
The  honors  of  the  three-year-old  cow  class 
were  divided  between  Duchesses  42d  and  43d. 
It  is  stated  that  the  jovial  John  Booth  ban- 
tered his  esteemed  contemporary  the  belligerent 
Bates  upon  this  occasion  about  his  backward- 
ness about  exhibiting  longer  at  leading  shows, 
and  inferentially  challenged  him  to  show  a  cow 
at  the  next  year's  Royal.  These  two  men  were 
clearly  at  the  head  of  their  profession  at  the 
time,  but  despite  their  rivalries  were  good 
friends.  The  meeting  took  place  at  York  in 
1842,  and  to  the  infinite  satisfaction  of  the 
great  champion  of  the  Duchesses  a  cow  of  that 
line  in  her  tenth  year  had  the  extraordinary 
honor  of  beating  Killerby's  great  Necklace. 
The  story  of  this  memorable  contest  is  told  by 
Mr.  Bates'  people  in  the  following  language: 

"  There  was  in  milk  at  Kirklevington  a  ten^ear-old  unregen- 
erate  dairy  cow,  which  had  never  heen  shown  nor  had  ever  been 
intended  to  be.  When  about  twelve  months  old  she  had  broken 
her  leg,  and  as  Bates  would  not  employ  a  veterinary  Thomas  Bell 


THOMAS    BATES   AND   THE    DUCHESSES.          97 

set  it  with  the  help  of  the  journeyman  miller.  For  some  years  she 
had  scarcely  ever  tasted  a  turnip  in  the  winter  months.  Since 
May  Day  she  had  been  going  in  the  ordinary  cow  pasture,  and 
was  as  ignorant  as  any  Northern  farmer  of  what  a  honne  bmiche 
meant.  Without  any  preparatory  training  at  all  old  Brokenleg 
(Duchess  34th)  walked  by  road  about  forty  miles  to  York,  in  the 
company  of  her  son,  Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940).  The  judges 
ordered  the  fifteen  cows  entered  to  parade  twice  round  the  ring, 
and  then  told  old  '  Tommy  Myers,'  the  Kirklevington  cowman,  to 
stand  on  one  side  with  Brokenleg.  A  murmur  of  indignation 
broke  from  the  people  present,  who  imagined  she  was  being  ex- 
cluded from  the  prize  list. 

"  Myers  remained  for  half  an  hour  or  so  thinking,  as  he  said, 
'they  were  gannin'  to  use  me  very  badly,'  while  the  judges  kept 
disputing  over  Necklace  and  one  of  Mr.  Mason  Hopper's  cows. 
'  They  could  not  rightly  judge  of  stars  in  the  presence  of  the  sun.' 
Myers,  who  had  supposed  they  were  determining  which  was  to  be 
first  and  which  second,  was  greatly  relieved  when  they  sent 
Brokenleg  'the  white  rose'  and  placed  Necklace  behind  her. 
When  the  crowning  trophy  was  placed  on  Duchess  34th's  head 
there  was  a  burst  of  applause.  She  was  as  like  the  first  Duchess 
as  two  animals  could  be,  in  color  and  in  that  grandeur  of  style  and 
appearance,  such  as  no  animal  ever  had  except  a  Duchess. 

"Bates  had  good  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  result;  of  the 
tug-of-war  when  Killerby  met  Kirklevington.  It  was  the  only 
challenge  he  ever  accepted.  That  the  decision  was  perfectly  just 
was  confirmed  by  Mr.  Eastwood,  a  breeder  who  had  as  much  ad- 
miration for  one  line  of  stock  as  for  the  other,  so  long  as  the  ani- 
mal was  a  good  one,  but  who  thought  that  a  little  weight  should 
be  allowed  to  fashion.  Mr.  John  Booth  asked  him  why  it  was  that 
Brokenleg  beat  Necklace.  *  Well,'  he  replied,  *  I  think,  Mr.  Booth, 
you  are  fairly  beaten ;  if  I  had  been  one  of  the  judges  I  should 
have  done  the  same.'  '  Then,'  said  Booth,  '  I  am  satisfied.'  Bates 
came  up  shortly  afterward  and  asked  Eastwood  the  same  ques- 
tion. '  I  think  you  won  fairly,  Mr.  Bates.'  *  I  am  pleased  to  hear 
you  say  that.'  *  I  told  Mr.  Booth  so.'  « Then,'  said  Bates,  '  I  am 
more  pleased  still,'  and  the  great  rival  breeders  remained  the  best 
of  friends." 

This  was  indeed  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
old-time  show-yard  events  of  which  any  record 
has  been  handed  down  from  the  last  genera- 


98  A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

tion,  and  proves  the  genuine  merit  of  the  Bates 
cattle  of  the  early  days.  This  cow,  Duchess 
34th,  was  the  dam  of 

Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940).— The  pro- 
duction of  this  famous  bull  has  always  been 
considered  the  crowning  triumph  of  Thomas 
Bates'  career  as  a  cattle-breeder.  He  was 
the  acknowledged  champion  bull  of  Eng- 
land in  1842.  Bates,  writing  of  him  in  1839, 
had  said:  "I  can  state  from  measurements  I 
took  of  the  celebrated  Comet  (155)  that  The 
Duke  was  nearly  double  his  weight  both  at  ten 
months  and  at  two  years  old,"  adding,  in  allu- 
sion to  his  well-known  affection  for  the  Duch- 
ess family:  VI  selected  this  tribe  of  Short- 
horns as  superior  to  all  other  cattle,  not  only 
as  small  consumers  of  food  but  as  great  grow- 
ers and  quick  grazers,  with  the  finest  quality  of 
beef,  and  also  giving  a  great  quantity  of  very 
rich  milk"  The  live  weight  of  The  Duke  at 
three  years  and  eight  months  was  2,520  Ibs. 

Mr.  Bates  has  left  the  following  statement 
concerning  him  and  his  family,  which  will  be 
of  interest  in  this  connection.  It  was  ad- 
dressed to  a  publishing  house  about  to  produce 
portraits  of  "The  Duke"  and  his  dam: 

"I  named  this  bull  Duke  of  Northumberland  to  perpetuate  the 
commemoration  that  it  is  to  the  judgment  and  attention  of  the  an- 
cestors of  the  present  Duke  of  Northumberland  that  this  country 
and  the  world  are  indebted  for  a  tribe  of  cattle  which  Mr.  Charles 
Colling  repeatedly  assured  me  was  the  best  he  eyer  had  or  ever 


THOMAS    BATES   AND    THE    DUCHESSES.          99 

saw.  As  a  proof  that  they  have  improved  under  my  care  1  may 
mention  that  the  Duke  of  Northumberland's  dam  consumes  one- 
third  less  food  than  my  first  Duchess,  purchased  in  1804,  and  that 
her  milk  yields  one-third  more  butter  for  each  quart  of  milk, 
while  there  is  also  a  greater  growth  of  carcass  and  an  increased 
aptitude  to  fatten. 

"It  is  now  above  sixty  years  since  I  became  impressed  with 
the  importance  of  selecting  the  very  best  animals  to  breed  from. 
For  twenty-five  years  afterward  I  lost  no  opportunity  of  ascer- 
taining the  merits  of  the  various  tribes  of  Short-horns.  It  was 
only  then  that  this  could  be  done.  There  is  scarce  a  vestige  now 
remaining  of  the  many  excellent  cattle  then  in  existence.  Since 
I  became  possessed  of  the  tribe  I  have  never  used  any  bulls  that 
had  not  Duchess  blood — except  Belvedere  (1706),  and  he  was  the 
last  bull  of  a  long  race  of  well-descended  Short-horns — without 
perceiving  immediately  the  error. 

"As  the  post  hour  draws  near  I  must  conclude  in  order  to  en- 
able you  to  print  this  letter  in  the  same  paper  with  the  portraits 
of  '  The  Duke '  and  his  dam.  I  do  not  expect  any  artist  can  do 
them  justice.  They  must  be  seen,  and  the  more  they  are  exam- 
ined the  more  their  excellence  will  appear  to  a  true  connoisseur, 
but  there  are  few  good  judges — a  hundred  men  may  be  found  to  make  a 
Prime  Minister  to  one  fit  to  judge  of  the  real  merits  of  Short-horns." 

Importance  of  tabulated  pedigrees. — If  Mr. 
Bates  had  submitted  for  publication  along  with 
this  eulogy  of  the  Duchess  family  the  subjoined 
tabulation  of  the  Duke  of  Northumberland's 
pedigree  the  propriety  of  substituting  an  ac- 
count of  the  merits  of  the  Princess  for  that  of 
the  Duchess  line  might  have  been  suggested. 

Blot  out  the  Princess  blood  and  the  dashes  of 
Tied  Rose  and  Marske  from  this  pedigree  and 
there  remains  but  a  "thin  red  line"  to  preach  a 
Duchess  sermon  from.  "The  best  bull  of  his 
time/'  the  best  bull  the  keen-witted  laird  of  Kirk- 
levington  ever  bred,  the  bull  for  which  almost 
any  sum  could  have  been  had,  was  indeed  a  credit 


100        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

to  the  skill  and  judgment  of  Thomas  Bates, 
but  he  carried  only  25  per   cent  of   Duchess 


DUKE  OF  NORTHUMBERLAND  (1940) 


O  »  >  $  >  M  >  *« 

C  B  0000 

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t-i  ^-^3 

B       ^^ 


>    * 


f!D'(DS'oosoBO''1ffiacr2fD 
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^  S    £"•"•    O;2*    &S— '  V*5     OT3     ^X     CTJ3     O'*>3^tofr:tO*<j^^O'to^DiN3&:»>5V5s- 
S        os^rP^  H  2   *5         B        ^        V3Oipui<jc^  *<C^PCJ»-<;OI 


blood.    Moreover  his  dam,  the  prize  cow  Duch- 
ess 34th — 50  per  cent  Princess  blood — was  a 


THOMAS    BATES    AND   THE    DUCHESSES.       101 

better  beast  than  either  Duchess  29th  or  20th. 
It  is  apparent,  therefore,  that  Princess  on  Duch- 
ess resulted,  as  Bates  had  predicted,  in  produc- 
ing Short-horns  superior  even  to  the  original 
Duchesses. 

We  need  but  print  the  same  Duke  of  North- 
umberland pedigree  in  the  regulation  Short- 
horn Herd  Book  and  Short-horn  catalogue 
style  to  show  how  a  miscarriage  of  justice 
in  estimating  family  credits  has  been  bred  and 
fostered  by  a  pernicious  system  of  pedigree 
registration;  a  system  that  so  palpably  exag- 
gerates the  relative  importance  of  a  certain 
portion  of  the  maternal  ancestry  that  it  seems 
strange  that  it  should  still  be  tolerated. 

DUKE  OF  NORTHUMBERLAND,  roan,  calved  Oct.  15, 1835;  bred  by 
T.  Bates ;  got  by  Belvedere  (1706) ,  dam  Duchess  34th  by  Belvedere 
(1706) ;  second  dam  Duchess  29th  by  2d  Hubback ;  third  dam 
Duchess  20th  by  The  Earl  (1511) ;  fourth  dam  Duchess  8th  by 
Marske  (418) ;  fifth  dam  Duchess  2d  by  Ketton  1st  (709) ;  sixth  dam 
Duchess  1st  by  Comet  (155) ;  seventh  dam  Duchess  by  Daisy  Bull 
(186) ;  eighth  dam  by  Favorite  (252),  etc. 

Clearly  one  would  say  this  is  a  Duchess  bull 
He  was  not,  however,  so  far  as  blood  elements 
are  concerned,  entitled  to  such  appellation  at 
all,  as  we  have  already  shown.  Just  how  much 
the  Stan  wick  Cow,  or  "my  first  Duchess,"  or 
the  "ancestors  of  the  present  Duke  of  Nor- 
thumberland" had  to  do  with  the  merit  of  this 
great  bull  must  be  self-evident  from  our  tab- 
ulation. Justice  compels  the  placing  of  the 
laurel  wreath  rather  upon  Thomas  Bates  and 


102        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

his  great  "find"  at  Wolviston,  the  Princess  bull 
Belvedere.  The  merit  of  the  earlier  Duch- 
esses had  been  largely  lost  through  excessive 
inbreeding.  The  Princess-and-Oxford  crossed 
stock  that  acquired  fame  under  the  Duchess 
name  in  the  Short-horn  world  were  in  truth 
Bates  cattle,  but  had  only  a  small  percentage 
of  the  old  Duchess  blood. 

The  responsibility  for  the  existing  scheme  of 
Short-horn  tribal  nomenclature  and  prevailing 
methods  of  herd-book  registration  does  not  rest 
entirely  upon  Mr.  Bates.  We  only  use  this  case 
as  an  illustration  of  the  fact  that  the  system 
is  calculated  to  befog  rather  than  enlighten 
those  who  seek  to  fathom  the  depths  of  Short- 
horn pedigree  records.  One  has  but  to  tran- 
scribe to  a  tabulated  blank  the  pedigree  of  any 
animal  recorded  in  the  Short-horn  Herd  Books 
of  Great  Britain  and  America  to  see  at  a  glance 
what  an  absurdly  small  proportion  of  the  an- 
cestry is  presented.  Those  who  have  all  the 
herd  books  at  their  command  can  under  the 
present  system,  it  is  true,  ferret  out  the  facts  as 
to  the  blood  lines  of  their  cattle,  but  until  the 
tabulation  method  is  adopted  for  catalogues 
and  transfer  certificates  the  average  buyer  will 
possess  but  the  mere  shadow  of  a  pedigree. 

The  Waterloos. — During  the  same  year  that 
Mr.  Bates  bought  Belvedere  and  the  Matchem 
Cow  he  had  purchased  from  Thomas  Parkin  of 


THOMAS    BATES    AND    THE    DUCHESSES.        103 

Thorpe,  in  the  County  of  Durham,  "a  short- 
legged,  wide,  red  cow,  with  the  look  of  a  pure 
Short-horn."  She  carried  a  double  cross  of  the 
Princess  bull  Waterloo  (2816),  and  was  doubt- 
less descended  all  around  from  a  well-bred  an- 
cestry. That  she  was  a  cow  of  marked  individ- 
ual merit  seems  clear  from  the  fact  that  s1  e 
was  one  of  the  five  "top"  females  chosen  to  be 
sent  to  be  bred  to  Norfolk  (2377).  A  heifer 
(Waterloo  3d)  resulted  from  that  service,  and 
she  became  the  ancestress  of  a  fine  family  of 
cattle  still  bearing  her  name.  The  Waterloos 
were  for  years  distinguished  for  their  thick, 
mellow  flesh  and  furry  coats,  and  during  the 
days  when  Short-horn  fanciers  were  paying  all 
sorts  of  extravagant  prices  the  tribe  steadily 
maintained  its  outstanding  merit.  Indeed  it  is 
doubtful  if  any  other  one  of  the  Bates  families 
held  its  character  so  persistently  for  so  many 
years  under  the  stress  of  continued  line  breed- 
ing. Further  evidence  of  the  original  excel- 
lence of  the  Waterloos  is  afforded  by  the  fact 
that  Waterloos  12th  and  13th  were  the  only 
females  bought  at  the  Bates  dispersion  by  two 
shrewd  Scottish  breeders  in  attendance,  viz., 
Amos  Cruickshank  of  Sittyton  and  W.  Hay  of 
Shethin. 

Wild  Eyes  Tribe. — This  family  traces  de- 
scent from  a  roan  heifer  calf  bought  at  a  sale 
made  by  Mr.  Parrington  at  Middlesbrough  in 


104        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

April,  1832,  for  £3.  She  had  seven  crosses  of 
registered  bulls  on  a  foundation  laid  in  the 
herd  of  Mr.  Dobinson.  Bates  claimed  that 
through  this  heifer  (Wild  Eyes)  he  got  "the 
only  good  blood  (Dobinson's)  that  the  Colling 
herds  did  not  contain."  Her  sire,  Emperor 
(1974),  was  sold  to  the  Russian  Government. 
At  the  date  of  the  Kirklevington  dispersion 
sale  this  was  the  most  numerous  sort  in  the 
herd. 

The  Cambridge  (Red)  Roses. — Of  this  strain 
was  2d  Hubback  and  Red  Rose  13th — the  Cam- 
bridge prize  cow  previously  mentioned.  It 
came  into  the  herd  early  through  Red  Rose 
1st  of  Mr.  Hustler's  breeding  (by  Yarborough), 
daughter  of  the  American  Cow,  whose  history 
is  given  in  a  preceding  chapter.  Red  Rose  5th 
of  this  family  produced  to  Belvedere  Rose  of 
Sharon,  imported  by  the  Ohio  Company,  and 
ancestress  of  the  American  tribe  of  that  name. 
Under  the  name  of  Cambridge  and  Heydon 
Roses  and  Rose  of  Sharons  the  descendants  of 
the  Cambridge  premium  cow  subsequently  be- 
came the  subject  of  extensive  speculations  on 
both  sides  the  Atlantic. 

Foggathorpe  family. — The  original  Fogga- 
thorpe  cow  cost  Mr.  Bates  £113  at  Mr.  Henry 
Edward's  sale  at  Castle  Howard  in  1839.  She 
was  a  roan,  nearly  ten  years  old  at  the  time  of 
the  purchase.  She  was  thought  to  resemble 


THOMAS   BATES    AND    THE    DUCHESSES.        105 

old  Princess  in  character  and  to  carry  the  blood 
of  Charles  Ceiling's  White  Bull  (151)— which 
Mr.  Bates  prized  highly.  Her  descendants, 
however,  did  not  acquire  as  much  celebrity  as 
the  other  Kirklevington  sorts. 

Blanche  or  Roan  Duchess  sort. — Another 
noted  tribe  resting  upon  a  Kirklevington  base 
was  that  of  Blanche,  derived  from  the  fine 
old  stock  of  Mr.  Hutchinson  of  Grassy  Nook. 
Bates  bred  them  for  some  time,  and  Blanche 
5th,  by  the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  produced 
in  Mr.  Towneley's  hands  Roan  Duchess,  dam 
of  the  famous  Royal  prize-winning  Roan  Duch- 
ess 2d  by  Frederick  (11489). 

The  Secrets. — This  tribe  derives  rank  as  "a 
Bates  sort"  from  the  fact  that  the  maternal 
ancestresses  were  cows  bred  and  owned  by  Mr 
Bates.  The  foundation  cow,  old  White  Rose, 
was  a  half-sister  to  the  dam  of  Belvedere,  both 
being  daughters  of  the  Princess  bull  Young 
Wynyard.  When  ten  years  old  she  was  bred 
to'  Whitaker's  Gambier  (2046)!  This  was  in 
1832.  The  produce,  the  roan  White  Rose  1st, 
to  the  cover  of  Short  Tail,  gave  birth  in  1837 
to  Secret,  sold  in  1844  to  C.  W.  Harvey.  The 
family  derives  its  name  from  this  cow,  and  sub- 
sequently attained  reputation  in  two  directions, 
to-wit.:  Bates-crossed  in  the  hands  of  English 
breeders  and  Scotch-crossed  by  Mr.  Cruickshank 
of  Sittyton.  No  representatives  of  this  (nor  of 


106        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  Blanche)  family  were  contained  in  the  herd 
at  the  date  of  its  dispersion. 

So-called  Bell-Bates  tribes. — Several  fami- 
lies of  Short-horns  built  up  under  Kirkleving- 
ton's  wing  by  Mr,  Bates'  tenants — the  Messrs. 
Bell — subsequently  shared  in  the  great  wave  of 
popularity  that  finally  set  in  toward  the  Bates 
blood.  Among  these  were  the  Barringtons, 
Kirklevingtons,  Acombs,  Darlingtons,  Fletchers 
(or  Filberts),  Places,  Harts,  Georgianas  and 
Hudsons.  The  Messrs.  Bell  had  the  use  of  Kirk- 
levington  bulls,  and  Mr.  Bates  himself  selected 
some  of  the  foundation  dams. 

Last  appearance  in  show-yard. — For  years 
Mr.  Bates  argued  in  favor  of  prizes  at  shows  for 
family  groups,  and  in  1847,  at  the  urgent  re- 
quest of  the  Secretary  of  the  Yorkshire  Society, 
he  sent  the  roan  Oxford  2d,  then  eight  years 
old,  along  with  the  four  youngest  of  her  progeny 
—two  bulls  and  two  heifers — and  also  one  of 
her  grandsons  to  the  Scarborough  meeting. 
The  roan  bull  2d  Duke  of  Oxford  (9046),  then 
three  years  old,  was  included  in  the  lot,  and 
defeated  the  noted  Capt.  Shafto  (6833),  that  had 
been  bought  by  Mr.  Parkinson  for  325  guineas 
and  was  champion  bull  at  the  Northampton 
Royal  a  few  weeks  previous.  •  All  six  of  the 
group  sent  to  Scarborough  gained  prizes. 

At  York  in  1848  Bates  again  exhibited,  but 
without  success,  receiving  but  one  prize,  a  sec- 


THOMAS   BATES   AND   THE   DUCHESSES.       107 

ond  on  2d  Duke  of  Oxford.  It  is  insisted,  how- 
ever, that  the  decisions  gave  universal  dissatis- 
faction. This  was  his  last  appearance  in  the 
show-yard.  He  had  bitterly  opposed  the  whole 
system  of  training  cattle  for  show,*  and  was 
wont  to  ridicule  the  claims  of  most  of  the 
winners. 

Dispersion  of  the  herd. — On  the  25th  of  July, 
1849,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years,  after  a 
half  a  century's  work  with  Short-horns,  Thomas 
Bates  passed  to  his  rest,  and  was  buried  in 
the  little  church-yard  at  Kirklevington.  "  The 
Druid"  tells  us  that  "his  heart  was  with  horn 
and  hoof  to  the  last.  Those  who  strolled  with 
him  in  his  pastures  recalled  how  the  cows  and 
even  the  young  heifers  would  lick  his  hand  and 
seem  to  listen  to  every  gentle  word  and  keen 
comment  as  if  they  penetrated  its  import;  and 
even  when  the  last  struggle  was  nigh  and  he 
could  wander  among  them  no  more  he  reclined 
on  some  straw  in  the  cow-house  that  his  eye 
might  not  lack  its  solace." 

Of  the  five  nephews  of  Mr.  Bates  but  one, 

*  "  Bates  was  disgusted  at  the  amount  of  fulsome  nonsense  written 
about  the  '  invincible  Belleville  (6T78),  which  won  the  champion  prize,  and 
considered  it  his  duty  to  warn  foreigners  against  supposing-  that  the  deci- 
sions at  the  Royal  Shows,  given  by  judges  who  were  indirectly  interested 
in  the  success  of  the  prize  animals,  were  any  guarantee  of  their  usefulness 
as  breeding  stock,  »  *  *  On  one  occasion  he  drove  a  friend  over  from 
Kirklevington  to  see  Belleville  at  Mr.  J.  Mason  Hopper's,  at  Newham 
Grange,  a  few  miles  off.  They  met  Hopper  on  the  road.  Bates  greeted  him 
with:  ' I  am  bringing  my  friend  to  see  your  bull.  I  have  told  him  that  he 
is  very  fat  and  very  quiet.'  Hopper,  who  was  rather  a  rough  diamond,  re 
plied .  4  If  that's  all  you  can  tell  him,  gang  back;  ye  need  gae  no  farther. ' 
-Thomas  Bates  and  the  Kirklevington  Short-horns. 


108        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Edward  Bates,  bad  received  a  training  in  agri- 
culture, and  he  was  living  abroad.  There  was 
no  member  of  the  family,  therefore,  to  carry  on 


KIRKLEVINGTON,  NEAR  YARM,  YORKSHIRE. 
A    CATALOGUE 

OP  THE 

ENTIRE    AND    FAR-FAMED    HERD 

OF  PURE 

SHORT- HORNED  CATTLE, 

BRED  BY 

THE  LATE  THOMAS  BATE3,  ESQ. 
WHICH  WILL  BE  SOLD  BY  AUCTION, 

WITHOUT    RESERVE, 

BY    MR.   H.    STRAFFORD, 

AT  KIRKLEVINGTON,  NEAR  YARM, 

ON    THURSDAY,   THE    9TH    DAY    OF    MAY,    1850 

SALE   TO    COMMENCE   AT   ONE   O'CLOCK. 


KIRKLEVINGTON  is  two  miles  from  Yarm,  twelve  miles  from  Dar- 
ling-ton and  twelve  miles  from  Northallerton,  from  which  places  there 
is  railway  conveyance  to  all  parts  of  the  Kingdom. 


Catalogues  may  be  had  on  application  to  MK.  STRAFFORD,  3,  Camden 
Villas,  Camden  Town,  London. 


LONDON : 

PRINTED  AT  "THE  MARK  LANE  EXPRESS"  OFFICE, 
24,   NORFOLK    STREET,   STRAND. 


the  herd,  and  it  was  accordingly  put  up  at  auc- 
tion at  Kirklevington  May  9,  1850.     The  title- 


THOMAS    BATES    AND    THE    DUCHESSES.       109 

page  of  the  catalogue  is  herewith  reproduced 
from  a  copy — now  yellow  with  age — in  the  pos- 
session of  the  author. 

But  five  families— Duchesses,  Oxfords,  Water- 
loos;  Wild  Eyes  and  Foggathorpes — were  in- 
cluded in  the  herd  at  date  of  sale.  Nothing  of 
an  historical  or  descriptive  nature  was  given  in 
the  catalogue,  either  in  the  shape  of  foot-notes 
or  introductory  matter.  No  illustrations  were 
attempted,  and  the  peculiar  form  of  printing 
pedigrees,  to  which  British  breeders  still  cling, 
was  used  as  follows: 

FOURTH  DUKE  OF  YORK  (10167),  roan,  calved  December  22,  1846; 

got  by  Second  Duke  of  Oxford  (9046) , 
dam  (Duchess  51st)  by  Cleveland  Lad  (3407), 
g.  d.  (Duchess  41st)  by  Belvedere  (1706), 
gr.  g.  d.  (Duchess  32d)  by  2d  Hubback  (1423), 
gr.  gr.  g.  d.  (Duchess  19th)  by  2d  Hubback  (1423), 
gr.  gr.  gr.  g.  d.  (Duchess  12th)  by  The  Earl  (646), 
gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  g.  d.  (Duchess  4th)  by  Ketton  2d  (710), 
gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  g.  d.  (Duchess  1st)  by  Comet  (155), 
gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  g.  d.  by  Favorite  (252), 
gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  g.  d.  by  Daisy  Bull  (186), 
gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  g.  d.  by  Favorite  (252), 
gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  gr.  g.  d.  by  Hubback  (319) ,— by  J. 

Brown's  Red  Bull  (97). 

A  darker  hour  for  the  placing  of  a  fine  herd 
of  cattle  upon  the  market  could  scarcely  have 
been  chosen.  At  the  Oxford  Royal,  a  decade 
previous,  Mr.  Bates  had  been  offered  400  guin- 
eas each  for  his  prize  animals,  and  at  that 
period  he  could  doubtless  have  named  his  own 
price  for  the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  but 
times  had  meantime  undergone  a  serious 


110        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

change.  British  agriculture  was  now  pro- 
foundly depressed.  Average  prices  at  Smith- 
field  market  at  Christmas,  1850,  ranged  from 
3s.  to  3s.  lOd.  per  stone  of  eight  pounds.  It 
seemed  fairly  probable  that  the  Kirklevington 
Short-horns,  representing  the  life-work  of  one 
of  the  most  enthusiastic  breeders  England  has 
ever  known,  would  simply  be  led  to  a  sacrifice. 
Mr.  Bates  had  often  said  that  his  cattle  would 
never  be  appreciated  at  their  full  value  during 
his  own  lifetime.  He  believed  that  his  own 
estimate  of  them  would  some  day  be  accepted, 
and,  in  later  years  this  indeed  came  to  pass. 

The  attendance  was  phenomenal  in  point  of 
numbers,  being  estimated  at  five  thousand. 
America  was  represented  by  bids  from  Col.  L. 
G.  Morris  and  N.  J.  Becar.  Curiosity  attracted 
many.  Some,  who  had  felt  the  lash  of  Bates' 
free  criticism  during  his  lifetime,  were  present 
to  exult  in  what  they  doubtless  hoped  would 
prove  a  Waterloo  for  the  Kirklevington  cattle. 
As  the  first  lots  passed  through,  and  the  sand  in 
the  auctioneer's  glass  ran  out  at  about  twenty 
guineas  each,  these  small-minded  individuals 
broke  into  ironical  cheers,  but  presently  the 
spirited  bidding  of  Mr.  Anthony  Maynard 
pulled  values  out  of  the  mire  and  some  good 
prices  for  the  times  were  registered.  The  roan 
4th  Duke  of  York,  then  three  years  old,  was 
conceded  to  be  the  outstanding  bull  of  the  lot, 


THOMAS    BATES   AND    THE    DUCHESSES.       Ill 

and  had  been  valued  by  Mr.  Bates  at  £1,000. 
When  Earl  Ducie  started  him  at  £200,  how- 
ever— having  previously  made  known  his  in- 
tention'to  buy  the  bull  at  any  cost — competi- 
tion for  him  was  silenced,  and  the  Duke  went 
to  His  Lordship  at  what  was  considered  a  "  bar- 
gain-counter" price.  The  sale  list  in  detail, 
as  respects  the  Duchesses  and  Oxfords,  is  here- 
with presented: 

DUCHESSES.  £    s 

Duchess  51st,  roan,  calved  Aug.  18, 1842— S.  E.  Bolden 63 

Duchess  54th,  red,  calved  Oct.  30, 1844— Mr.  Eastwood 94  10 

Duchess  55th,  red,  calved  Oct.  31, 1844— Earl  Ducie 110    5 

Duchess  56th,-red-and-white,  calved  Nov.  3, 1844— Mr.  Ambler  54  12 

Duchess  59th,  roan,  calved  Nov.  21, 1847— Earl  Ducie 210 

Duchess  61st,  red  roan,  calved  Aug.  19,  1848— Lord  Fever- 
sham  105 

Duchess  62d,  red-and- white,  calved  Oct.  10, 1848— Mr.  Cham- 
pion  : 126 

Duchess  64th,  red,  calved  Aug.  10, 1849— Earl  Ducie 162  15 

Grand  Duke  (10284),  red,  calved  February,  1848— Mr.  Hay. .  .215 
4th  Duke  of  York  (10167),  roan,  calved  December,  1846— Earl 

Ducie 210 

Duke  of  Richmond  (7996) ,  roan,  calved  August,  1844— A.  L. 

Maynard 126 

3d  Duke  of  York  (10166) ,  red,  calved  October,  1345— G.  D. 

Trotter 74  11 

Duke  of  Athol  (10150),  red,  calved  September,  1849— Mr. 

Parker 42 

5th  Duke  of  York  (10168) , white,  calved  October,  1849— R.  Bell  33  12 
14  head  sold  for  £1,627  10s.,  an  average  of £116  5s 

OXFORDS.  £     S. 

Oxford  2d,  roan,  calved  April  20,  1889— Marquis  of  Exeter..  54  12 
Oxford  4th,  red-and-white,  calved  Aug.  8,  1843— E.  James. . .  28  7 
Oxford  5th,  roan,  calved  Nov.  24,  1844— Col.  L.  G.  Morris 

(U.  S.  A.) 74  11 

Oxford  6th,  red,  calved  Nov.  6, 1846— Earl  Ducie 131    5 

Oxford  9th,  roan,  calved  Oct.  27,  1848— A.  L.  Maynard 42 


112        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Oxford  10th,  red-and-white,  calved  Dec.  30, 1848— Col.  Morris  53  11 

Oxford  llth,  roan,  calved  Aug.  25,  1849— Earl  Ducie 131    5 

Oxford  12th,  roan,  calved  Aug.  27,  1849— Lord  Feversham. . .  85    1 
Oxford  13th,  roan,  calved  Jan.  7,  1850 — N.  J.  Becar  (U.  S.  A.)  63    3 

Oxford  14th,  roan,  calved  March  1.  1850—  Mr.  Downes 21 

2d  Duke  of  Oxford  (9046),  roan,  calved  August, 't!843— Earl 

Howe 110    5 

3d  Duke  of  Oxford  (9047) ,  roan,  calved  October,  1845— Mr. 

Robinson 64    1 

Beverley  (9664),  red-and-white,  calved  October,  1848— Mr. 

Townshend 32  11 

13  head  sold  for  £894  12s.,  an  average  of £68  16s 

WILD   EYES. 

25  head  sold  for  £1,203  6s.,  an  average  of £48    2s 

WATERLOGS. 

6  head  sold  for  £357,  an  average  of £59  10s 

CAMBRIDGE   ROSES. 

3  head  sold  for  £147,  an  average  of £49 

FOGGATHORPES. 

7  head  sold  for  £328  13s.,  an  average  of £46  19s 

GENERAL    AVERAGES. 

68  head  sold  for  £4,558,  an  average  of £67 

15  bulls  sold  for  £1,309  7s.,  an  average  of £87    5s 

5  bull  calves  sold  for  £201  12s.,  an  average  of : £40 

22  cows  sold  for  £1,163  8s.,  an  average  of £52  17s 

16  heifers  sold  for  £1,221  3s.,  an  average  of £76    6s 

10  heifer  calves  sold  for  £662  11s.,  an  average  of £66    5s 

Sixty-four  Duchess  females. — The  following 
tabulation  showing  the  record  of  Duchess  fe- 
males in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Bates — for  which  the 
author  is  indebted  to  Mr.  Eichard  Gibson — is 
worthy  of  being  incorporated  here  for  purposes 
of  reference. 

It  will  be  seen  that  there  were  but  sixty- 
four  Duchesses  all  told.  Of  these,  the  last 
(Duchess  64th)  was  calved  after  Mr.  Bates' 


THOMAS   BATES   AND   THE    DUCHESSES.       113 


death.  The  one  calf  of  Duchess  58th  was 
Duchess  65th,  that  probably  died  young,  as 
Lord  Ducie  recorded  the  1850  calf  of  Duchess 
55th  also  as  Duchess  65th.  Of  the  fifty-eight 
Duchesses  old  enough  to  breed  previous  to 
Mr.  Bates'  death,  which  number  includes  all 
£hat  lived  long  enough  to  have  numbers  as- 
signed them,  two  (13th  and  57th)  are  recorded 
as  having  died  young;  one  (53d)  was  a  twin 
with  a  bull,  and  twenty-four  others  (so  far  as 
the  Herd  Book  records  inform  us)  never  pro- 
duced calves.  A  cross  from  the  prolific  Wild 
Eyes  tribe  might  have  materially  increased 
Duchess  fertility  during  the  "  forties." 


NAME. 

1 

1 

Mr* 

| 

Calve*  p 
Male. 

reduced. 
Female  . 

I1 

§§ 
i* 

1 

f 

Ouchesa    1 
Duchess    2 
Duchesa    3 
Duohesa    4 
Duchesa    5 
Duchess    6 
Duchess    7 
Duchess    8 
Duchess    9 
Duchess  1U 
Duchesa  11 
Duchesa  12 
Duchesa  13 
Duchess  14 
Duchess  15 
Duchesa  16 
Duchesa  17 
Duchesa  18 
Duchess  19 
Duchess  20 
Duchesa  21 
Duchess  22 
Duchess  2'* 
Duchess  24 
Duchess  25 
Ducheas  2,; 

1808 
1812 
1815 
181G 
1817 
1819 
ItfJO 
1820 
1821 
182- 
1322 
if>22 
1H23 
1823 
1824 
1824 
1825 
1825 
1825 
1825 
1825 
182(J 
1826 
1826 
18:J<5 
1826 

.&w. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
ed. 

.&w. 

.&w. 
.&w. 

„ 

.&'w. 
.&w. 
Aw. 

*w! 

.  &w. 

.  &w. 
&w. 

Comet  

1 
1 

1 

1 
2 

4 
1 

i 

4 
2 
4 
8 
1 
4 

::  .* 

Ketton  

Ketton  

Ketton  2d  

Ketton  2d 

Ketton  3d  

4 

Marske 

3 

Marske      

2 
2 

1 

i 

i 

8 
2 

..  . 

Marske 

Cleveland              

4  ... 

i 

2 

1 

.... 

The  Earl         

4 

The  Earl 

9 

The  Earl         

(5  

i  --  - 

The  Earl 

8 

The  Earl            .             .... 

3l 

1 

3d  Earl  

ii1.: 

2d  Hubback 

6     . 

2d  Hubback  

12  .... 

5 
? 

i 

2d  Earl                             

8  .. 

'M  Hubback                           ..  . 

9 

2d  Earl  .... 

11'   ... 

2d  Hubback 

g 

2d  Hubback 

3       1 

1 

1 

.... 

114        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 


NAME. 

Duchess  27 
Duchess  28 
Duchess  29 
Duchess  80 
Duchess  31 
Duchess  82 
Duchess  83 
Duchess  34 
Duchess  35 
Duchess  36 
Duchess  37 
Duchess  38 
Duchess  39 
Duchess  40 
Duchess  41 
Duchess  42 
Duchess  43 
Duchess  44 
Duchess  45 
Duchess  46 
Duchess  47 
Duchess  48 
Duchess  49 
Duchess  60 
Duchess  51 
Duchess  52 
Duchess  53 
Duchess  54 
Duchess  55 
Duchess  56 
Duchess  57 
Duchess  58 

Duchess  59 
Duchess  60 
Duchess  61 
Duchess  62 
Duchess  63 
Duchess  64 

1 

1 

Sire. 

1 

Calves  produced. 

Me 

$  to 

I-1 

.  \  Steers  or 
£  j  unnamed 

Fen 

1 

ale. 

1827 
1827 
1829 
1830 
1830 
1831 
1832 
1832 
1833 
1834 
1834 
1835 
1835 
1835 
1835 
1837 
1837 
1838 
1838 
1838 
1839 
1339 
1839 
1839 
1840 
1841 
1842 
1844 
1844 
1844 
1845 
1846 

1847 
1847 
1848 
1848 
1848 
1849 

r.  &  w. 
r.  &  w. 
r.  &  w. 
r.&w. 
r.  &  w. 
r.  &  w. 
roan, 
r.&w. 
red. 
r.&w. 
r.  &  w. 
roan, 
roan, 
roan, 
roan, 
roan, 
red. 
.&w. 
.&w. 
.  &  w. 
ed. 
.&w. 
.  &  w. 
white, 
roan, 
r.  &  w. 
roan, 
red. 
red. 
r.  &  w. 
roan, 
red. 

roan, 
red. 
roan, 
r.  &  w. 
roan, 
red. 

16 

2d  Hubback  

6 

W 

1 

2d  Hubback  

?,{} 

3 

6 

.... 

2d  Hubback 

26 
19 
19 
29 
19 

'"i 


2d  Hubback  

.... 

1 
1 
2 

... 

Belvedere.. 

Gambler  

Belvedere.. 

19 
30 
33 

m 

i 
i 

Belvedere  

.J 

2 
2 

..  . 

Norfolk 

19 

Belvedere  

32 

80 

2 

"  i 

2 

Belvedere  

34 

37 

1 

i 

Short  Tall 

Short  Tall  

30        1 
34  '  ... 

.... 

.... 

..... 

Short  Tall 

Short  Tall... 

37   .. 

Short  Tall  

30  .. 

Short  Tall  

30 
38 
41 

38 

1 

1 
3 

*.::: 

1 
1 
2 

'"i 

Duke  of  Northumberland  — 
Cleveland  Lad  

Holkar 

41 

2d  Cleveland  Lad  
4th  Duke  of  Northumberland. 
2d    Duke  of  Northumberland. 

49 

38 
51 
60 

1 
1 
1 

:*:: 

8 
1 
2 

.... 

54 

1 

Total  

66' 
64 
51 
56 
54 
55 

29 

16 

63 

2 

2d  Duke  of  Oxford  

IBorn   previous 
to  the  death  of 
Mr.  Bates,  July 
25,1849,  and   at 
1    that  date   not 
old  enough  to 
'    have  produce. 

2d  Duke  of  Oxford 

2d  Duke  of  Oxford  

2d  Duke  of  Oxford  

2d  Duke  of  Oxford  . 

2d  Duke  of  Oxford  

Individual  character  of  the  cattle. — It  may 

be  of  interest  to  American  breeders  to  know 
that,  although  the  prevailing  color  of  the  old 
Duchesses  had  been  red  and  white,  thirty-eight 
of  the  herd  of  sixty-eight  head  sold  in  1850 
were  roan  and  five  pure  white  in  color;  fifteen 
being  red-and-white  and  twelve  red.  The  con- 


THOMAS    BATES    AND    THE    DUCHESSES.        115 

cent  ration  of  the  blood  of  the  light-colored 
Belvedere  and  of  the  white  Matchem  cow's  sons 
-the  Cleveland  Lads — modified  the  original 
Duchess  color  as  well  as  elevated  the  general 
excellence  of  the  herd.  A  contemporary  re- 
port of  the  sale  in  the  Farmer's  Magazine  com- 
mended the  character  of  the  cattle  in  the  fol- 
lowing laudatory  language: 

"In  a  combination  of  those  qualities  which  constitute  excel- 
lence in  the  Short-horn  variety  of  cattle  it  may  be  asserted  with 
confidence  that  the  Kirklevington  Herd  at  the  time  of  its  disper- 
sion was  unequaled  by  any  other  in  existence.  Magnificent  size, 
straight  and  broad  back,  arched  and  well-spread  ribs,  wide  bosom, 
snug  shoulder,  clean  neck,  light  feet,  small  head,  prominent  and 
bright  but  placid  eye,  were  features  of  usefulness  and  beauty 
which  distinguished  this  herd  in  the  very  highest  degree.  While 
the  hide  is  sufficiently  thick  to  indicate  an  excellent  constitution, 
its  elasticity  when  felt  between  the  fingers  and  thumb,  and  its 
floating  under  the  hand  upon  the  cellular  texture  beneath,  together 
with  the  soft  and  furry  texture  of  the  coat,  evinced  in  an  extraor- 
dinary degree  throughout  the  herd  excellent  quality  of  flesh  and 
disposition  to  rapid  taking  on  fat.  In  the  sixty-eight  head  of  cattle 
not  one  could  be  characterized  as  inferior  or  even  as  mediocre,  all 
ranking  as  first-class  animals;  and  when  an  idea  of  inferiority 
arose  it  was  only  in  reference  to  a  comparison  with  others  of  this 
splendid  herd,  which,  from  their  most  extraordinary  excellence, 
demanded  special  notice." 

Thus  passed  into  other  hands  a  herd  that  was 
destined  to  receive  recognition  in  the  subse- 
quent progress  of  the  breed  beyond  even  the 
wildest  dreams  of  its  founder.  At  his  grave 
stands  a  substantial  monument,*  erected  largely 
through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  William  Housman, 

*The  exact  date  of  Mr.  Bates'  death  was  July  25,  as  already  stated. 
Through  some  inadvertency  the  inscription  on  the  monument  reads  "July 
26th." 


116        A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

one  of  the  most  entertaining  of  all  English 
writers  upon  Short-horn  cattle.  It  bears  this 
simple  inscription: 

THIS  MEMORIAL 
OF 

THOMAS   BATES, 

OF  KIRKXEVINGTON, 
ONH     OF     THE     MOST     DISTINGUISHED     BREEDERS    Or 

SHORT-HORN    CATTLE, 

18  RAISED  BY  A  FEW  FRIENDS  WHO  APPRECIATE 
HIS  LABOURS  FOR  THE  IMPROVEMENT  OF 

BRITISH  STOCK, 
AND  RESPECT  HIS  CHARACTER. 

BORN  21ST  JUNE,,  1776. 
DIED  26TH  JULY,  1849. 


DRAWN  FROM  PHOTOGRAPH  BY  THE  AUTHOR,  1892. 


CHAPTER    V. 


PALMY  DAYS  AT  KILLERBY  AND  WAR- 
LABY. 

The  establishment  of  the  Yorkshire  and 
Royal  Shows  (1838-9) .  proved  the  means  of 
attracting  largely-increased  attention  to  the 
breed,  not  only  throughout  Great  Britain  but 
in  foreign  lands  as  well.  Mr.  Bates  was  quick 
to  see  the  advertising  advantages  presented, 
and  had  carried  off  high  honors  at  the  initial 
meetings  of  the  National  Show  at  Oxford  and 
Cambridge.  His  contemporary,  John  Booth  of 
Killerby,  soon  followed  suit  and  began  a  career 
of  conquest — in  which  his  brother  Richard  soon 
joined— that  gave  the  Booth  cattle  for  a  long 
series  of  years  reputation  as  a  heavy  flesh- 
carrying  type  unequaled  by  any  other  in  the 
Kingdom.  Prior  to  that  time  the  Booth  herds 
had  been  kept  mainly  for  dairy  and  grazing 
purposes,  most  of  the  males  being  steered. 
Their  quick-feeding  quality  rendered  them 
easily  susceptible  to  "training"  for  show. 

We  have  already  detailed  the  division  of  the 
Killerby  Herd  that  occurred  in  1814,  at  the 

(117) 


118        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

time  when  Richard  Booth  began  breeding  at 
Studley.  To  take  the  place  at  Killerby  of  some 
of  the  cows  sent  to  Studley  Thomas  Booth 
bought  others,  which  when  crossed  with  his 
strongly-bred  bulls  gave  rise  to  three  very 
prominent  families — the  Farewells,  the  Brough- 
tons,  and  the  Dairymaids  or  Moss  Roses.  The 
matron  of  the  Farewell  tribe,  like  so  many 
other  good  ones  that  proved  successful  breed- 
ers, was  simply  a  good  market  cow,  showing 
Short-horn  breeding  and  quality,  purchased  at 
Darlington.  Among  her  descendants  were  the 
famous  trio — Faith,  Hope  and  Charity.  The 
first  Broughton  cow  came,  like  the  Fairholme 
heifers,  from  a  good  dairy  farmer,  and  of  her 
line  was  Bliss,  Blythe  and  Bonnet.  The  origi- 
nal Dairymaid  came  from  a  good  stock  of  cat- 
tle near  the  village  of  Scorton.  To  her  the 
prolific  Vivandiere,  Campfollower  and  Soldier's 
Bride  traced  in  the  maternal  line.  To  these 
families  were  added  the  Gaudy  (or  Lady  Betty) 
sort,  bred  from  a  cow  bought  from  Mr.  Tay- 
lor of  Catterick;  the  Mantalinis,  derived  from 
the  purchase  of  Sylph,  by  Remus,  from  Mrs. 
Booth's  sister,  Miss  Wright  of  Cleasby,  and  the 
Belindas,  that  originated  from  the  stock  of 
Miss  Wright  and  Mr.  Charge.  The  descend- 
ants of  these  cows,  a  portion  of  the  Halnaby 
and  Fairholme  tribes,  and  the  Bracelets  consti- 
tuted the  herd  that  graced  "  the  quiet  meadows 


KILLERBY    AND   WARLABY.  119 

of  old  Killerby,"  from  whence  John  Booth  se- 
lected the  celebrated  show  animals  sent  to  the 
early  meetings  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  So- 
ciety of  England.  The  sensation  created  by 
their  appearance  laid  the  foundation  for  the 
wide  demand  that  subsequently  set  in  for 
Booth  blood.  In  five  years  four  first  prizes  for 
the  best  Short-horn  cows  at  the  Royal  were 
won  by  animals  of  Killerby  breeding. 

Bracelet  and  Necklace.— In  1840  Killerby 
entered  the  lists  at  the  Yorkshire  Show  at 
Northallerton  and  won  first  prize  with  the  roan 
three-year-old  Bracelet,  by  Priam  (2452) — he  a 
son  of  Isabella  by  Pilot — and  second  on  the 
yearling  heifer  Mantalini.  In  1841  Mr.  Booth 
ventured  into  deeper  water,  showing  at  the 
Royal  at  Liverpool  and  the  Highland  at  Ber- 
wick, as  well  as  at  the  Yorkshire  Show.  Brace- 
let won  first  as  cow  at  both  of  the  national 
shows,  and  Mantalini  first  as  two -year -old 
heifer.  In  1842  Bracelet  and  her  twin  sister, 
Necklace,  swept  all  before  them  at  York,  and 
Necklace  was  first  at  the  Bristol  Royal.  Carr 
says:  "To  this  day  it  is  a  mooted  question 
among  those  who  remember  the  world- 
renowned  twins  to  which  of  them  could  be 
most  justly  awarded  the  palm  of  beauty. 
Necklace  is  said  to  have  had  neater  fore  quar- 
ters and  to  have  been  rather  better  filled  up 
behind  the  shoulders.  Bracelet  had  fuller, 


120        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

longer  and  more  level  hind  quarters."  Writing 
in  1880  John  Thornton  said:  "Many  old  breed- 
ers still  maintain  that  as  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land was  one  of  the  finest  bulls  so  Bracelet  was 
the  finest  cow  in  their  recollection."  In  1843 
Necklace  overcame  all  opposition  at  Doncaster. 
These  famous  cows  together  brought  home  as 
trophies  of  show-yard  war  some  thirty-five  class 
and  championship  prizes  and  medals;  Necklace 
finishing  her  career  by  winning  a  gold  medal 
against  thirty-seven  competitors  at  the  Smith- 
field  Fat-Stock  Show  at  London  in  1846. 

Buckingham. —  Bracelet  was  not  only  a 
reigning  show-yard  queen,  but  proved  a  grand 
breeder,  producing  the  fine  white  show  cow 
Birthday,  by  Lord  Stanley  (4269),  the  prize  bull 
Hamlet,  by  Leonard,  and  that  extraordinary 
sire  Buckingham  (3239),  the  latter  the  result  of 
mating  with  Col.  Cradock's  Mussulman  (4525). 
Buckingham  was  sold  to  Richard  Booth,  who 
had  in  the  meantime  succeeded  to  his  father's 
estate  of  Warlaby,  and  in  his  hands  proved  a 
uniform  getter  of  broad-backed,  round-ribbed 
stock,  with  shapely  fore  quarters  and  well-filled 
flanks.  He  was  subsequently  let  to  Mr.  Barnes, 
who  established  a  noted  herd  of  Booth-bred 
cattle  at  Westland,  Ireland,  but  the  bull  was 
unfortunately  lost  by  the  burning  of  the  chan- 
nel steamer  that  was  conveying  him  to  the  Em- 
erald Isle.  Buckingham  introduced  the  Old 


NECKLACE  AT  Six  YEARS  OLD. 


BRACELET  AT  FIVE  YEARS  OLD, 
JOHN  BOOTH'S  FAMOUS  ROYAL  PRIZE-WINNING  TWINS. 


KILLERBY    AND   WARLABY.  121 

Cherry  blood  into  the  Booth  herds,  and  illus- 
trated the  vivifying  effect  of  a  judicious  out- 
cross  upon  tribes  that  had  been  interbred 
for  generations.  No  further  proof  of  this  is 
needed  than  the  mere  mention  of  the  fact  that 
Buckingham  left  at  Warlaby,  among  other  val- 
uable progeny,  the  celebrated  Charity,  Plum 
Blossom,  Bloom,  Medora,  Vivandiere,  Isabella 
Buckingham,  Vanguard,  Hopewell,  Benedict 
and  Baron  Warlaby.  Bracelet's  famous  daugh- 
ter. Birthday,  in  turn  produced  the  prize- win- 
ning heifer  Gem  (which  Dixon  says  was  Mr. 
Booth's  model  as  respects  compactness,  beauti- 
ful hair  and  fine,  even  quality  of  flesh)  and  the 
w^hite  bull  Lord  George  (10439),  the  sire  of  the 
2d  Duke  of  Athol  (11376),  in  the  pedigrees  of 
Mr.  Alexander's  American  Duchesses  of  Airdrie. 
Another  daughter  of  Bracelet  was  Pearl,  gran- 
dam  of  Pearly,  bought  by  Col.  Towneley  at  the 
Killerby  sale,  that  became  the  dam  of  the  500- 
guinea  Ringlet.  Bracelet  was  also  the  dam  of 
the  red  bull  Morning  Star  (6223),  that  was  sold 
in  1844  as  a  two-year-old  to  Louis  Phillippe  of 
France.  Before  crossing  the  Channel,  how- 
ever, he  begot  Vesper,  the  ancestress  of  the 
noted  family  of  that  name  in  the  Booth-bred 
herd  of  Mr.  R.  S.  Bruere.  Necklace  produced 
Jewel,  the  dam  of  Jeweller,  used  in  the 
Towneley  herd,  the  sire  of  the  celebrated 
Barmpton  Rose  cow  Butterfly.  Mantalini,  the 


122        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

show -yard  companion  of  the  twins,  had  a 
daughter,  Pelerine,  from  whence  came  those 
" three  graces,"  Rose  of  Autumn,  Rose  of  Sum- 
mer and  Rose  of  Athelstane,  in  the  herd  of  Mr. 
Douglas  of  Atheistaneford. 

John  Booth's  sale. — After  playing  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  show-yard  for  a  number  of 
years  and  demonstrating  beyond  all  dispute 
the  flesh-making  qualities  and  prepotent  char- 
acter of  his  cattle  "the  Squire  of  Killerby" 
sold  his  herd  at  auction  in  July,  1852,  the  sale 
being  attended  by  breeders  from  all  parts  of 
the  Kingdom.  The  depression  prevailing  at 
the  time  of  the  Bates  sale  still  continued,  and 
some  of  the  animals  were  a  few  years  later  re- 
sold for  three  times  the  price  paid  at  the  sale. 
The  forty-four  lots  averaged  £48  12s.  Bloom 
brought  110  guineas  from  Mr.  Ambler,  and 
Birthright  105  guineas  from  Mr.  Douglas. 
After  the  dispersion  John  Booth  did  not  again 
engage  extensively  in  cattle-breeding.*  His 

*Mr  Booth  was  a  very  fine-looking1  man,  upward  of  six  feet  and  fifteen 
stone,  with  rare  hands  and  a  fine  eye  to  hounds.  This  was  the  sport  ho 
loved  best,  and  when  he  was  on  Jack  o'  Lantern  or  Rob  Roy  few  men  could 
cross  the  Bedale  country  with  him.  *  *  *  He  was  full  of  joviality  and 
good  stories  as  well  as  the  neatest  of  practical  jokes.  His  friend  Weth- 
erell  generally  had  his  guard  up,  but  when  he  received  a  letter,  apparently 
from  the  Earl  of  Tankerviile,  saying1  that  he  was  to  lot  and  sell  the  wild 
White  cattle  of  Chilungham,  he  puzzled  for  minutes  as  to  how  on  earth  Hia 
Lordship  ever  intended  to  catch  them  and  bring  them  into  the  ring  before 
he  guessed  the  joke  and  its  author.  *  *  *  Booth  judged  a  great  deal  in 
England,  and  never  went  for  great  size  either  in  a  bull  or  a  cow.  As  a  man 
of  fine,  steady  judgment  in  a  cattle-ring  he  has  perhaps  never  had  an  equal. 
He  died  in  1857,  after  a  weary  twelve  months'  illness,  in  his  seventieth  year, 
at  Killerby,  and  a  memorial  window  at  Catterick,  where  he  rests,  was  put 
up  by  his  friends  and  neighbors  and  the  Short-horn  world  as  well."— Saddlt 
2nd  Sirloin. 


KILLERBY    AND    WARLABY.  123 

brother  Richard  had  purchased  Venus  Victrix 
at  the  top  price  of  the  sale  (175  guineas)  and 
afterward  presented  her  to  her  former  owner. 
She  was  successfully  exhibited  at  leading  shows 
from  1852  to  1856,  and  also  produced  the  two 
bulls  King  Arthur  and  King  Alfred,  both  by 
Crown  Prince,  besides  two  choice  heifers,  Vic- 
trix and  Venus  de  Medicis.  The  latter  was  sold 
to  Mr.  Douglas  for  300  guineas  and  shown  at 
the  Paris  Exposition.  At  Mr.  Booth's  death  in 
1857  his  sons  inherited  this  Venus  Victrix  tribe, 
as  well  as  the  descendants  of  Hecuba,  by  Hope- 
well;  among  the  latter  being  the  noted  Forest 
Queen  and  Queen  of  Trumps.  Hecuba  was  of 
the  real  rent-paying  sort — a  heavy  milker  and 
quick  feeder.  Another  grand  cow  in  the  herd 
at  this  time  was  Soldier's  Dream,  of  the  old 
Moss  Rose  sort.  Her  dam  had  been  presented 
to  John  Booth's  sons  by  their  uncle  Richard. 

Warlaby  and  its  show-yard  wonders. — We 
now  approach  the  zenith  of  Booth  fame — the 
later  achievements  of  that  Achilles  of  British 
show-yard  war,  Richard  Booth  (late  of  Stud- 
ley),  who  succeeded  to  his  father's  estate  of 
Warlaby,  in  the  grassy  valley  of  the  Wiske,  in 
1835.  In  his  later  years  Thomas  Booth  had  not 
endeavored  to  give  the  herd  at  Warlaby  any 
special  prominence.  He  had  devoted  fifty 
years  of  his  useful  life  to  the  interests  of  the 
breed,  and  had  lived  to  see  the  type  created  by 


124        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

his  skill  and  genius  recognized  as  one  of  the 
chief  sources  of  Short-horn  excellence.  He  was 
content,  therefore,  to  leave  to  younger  men  the 
active  "pushing"  of  their  favorites.  It  is  said 
that  Richard  on  his  entrance  at  Warlaby  did 
not  at  first  contemplate  any  special  effort  in 
the  line  of  Short-horn  breeding.  Unlike  his 
brother  John — who  had  the  traditional  York- 
shire love  for  the  excitements  of  the  race- 
course and  the  hunting  field — Richard  had 
never  been  given  to  active  pursuits,  and  "  was 
only  a  quiet  gig-man"  from  the  early  days. 
Happily  for  the  breed,  however,  he  changed 
his  mind  in  relation  to  cattle-breeding  and  de- 
voted the  remainder  of  his  days  to  the  upbuild- 
ing of  what  was  beyond  all  question  the  most 
remarkable  herd  of  its  time  and  one  of  the 
greatest  known  in  Short-horn  history. 

Thomas  Booth  had  left  at  Warlaby  cows  of 
of  the  Halnaby  (Strawberry),  Farewell,  Blos- 
som, Broughton,  Dairymaid  and  Christon  fami- 
lies. To  this  collection  Richard  added  old  Isa- 
bella, by  Pilot,  then  in  her  sixteenth  year  but 
still  breeding.  Killerby  was  at  this  date  and 
for  some  years  afterward  in  the  ascendant  so 
far  as  public  notoriety  was  concerned.  The 
victories  of  Bracelet  and  Necklace,  of  Manta- 
lini,  Ladythorne,  Birthday  and  Hamlet  had 
drawn  all  eyes  upon  the  work  of  John  Booth, 
but  Richard  of  Warlaby  was  meantime  buck- 


KILLERBY    AND    WARLABY.  125 

ling  on  his  armor.  He  bought  Bracelet's  son 
Buckingham,  bearing  50  per  cent  of  Old  Cherry 
blood,  from  his  brother  John;  having  already 
sent  his  own  grand  cow,  White  Strawberry,  to 
be  bulled  by  Lord  Lieutenant  (4260),  of  Mr. 
Raine's  breeding.  White  Strawberry  was  prob- 
ably the  best  cow  at  Warlaby  at  that  time. 
She  was  bred  in  every  direction  from  the  closest 
affinities  of  blood,  her  ancestors,  male  and  fe- 
male, being  filled  by  repeated  crosses  with  the 
blood  of  Albion  and  Pilot.  She  was  a  magnifi- 
cent broad-backed,  wide-breasted  animal,  quite 
equal  in  merit  to  those  buxom  matrons,  the  red 
Anna  and  the  roan  Isabella  by  Pilot,  the  two 
best  cows  that  either  of  the  herds  had  pre- 
vious to  1835  produced.  The  white  bull  Leon- 
ard (4210)  was  the  result  of  this  Booth-Eaine 
union.  In  those  days  color  did  not  condemn 
good  cattle  to  destruction.  Leonard  was  called 
a  "little"  bull,  but  the  Booths  were  never  par- 
tial to  big  ones.  Moreover,  he  had  great  loins 
and  widely-spread  ribs.  He  was  also  rather 
heavy  in  the  horn,  but  the  laird  of  Warlaby  had 
confidence  in  his  value  as  a  sire  and  placed  him 
in  service.  His  blood,  blended  with  that  of 
Buckingham  through  the  veins  of  that  grand 
galaxy  of  Booth-bred  cows,  Isabella,  White 
Strawberry,  Bracelet  and  Charity,  ultimately 
found  issue  in  the  world-renowned  Crown  Prince 
(10087),  the  bull  of  all  Booth  bulls;  the  bull  that 


126        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

was  to  Warlaby  what  Duke  of  Northumberland 
was  to  Kirklevington  or  Champion  of  England 
to  Sittyton. 

Faith,  Hope  and  Charity. — It  was  not  until 
1846  that  Warlaby  closed  in  earnest  with  the 
ruling  ring-side  powers  of  the  United  Kingdom. 
John  Booth  was  out  with  a  strong  herd,  includ- 
ing Necklace,  Birthday,  Mantalini,  Gem  and 
Hamlet— the  latter  regarded  by  John  Booth  as 
the  best  bull  ho  ever  bredc  It  was  a  significant 
fact  that  one  of  Richard's  earliest  ventures  in 
the  show-field  had  been  made  with  a  roan  cow 
called  Faith,  of  the  Farewell  family0  She  was 
a  large  and  excellent  cow,  but  somewhat  mas- 
culine, and  could  only  get  a  second  against 
Necklace  at  the  Yorkshire  meoting,  but  her 
name  represented  the  foundation  upon  which 
Warlaby  built  for  the  future — implicit  confi- 
dence in  the  value  of  the  blood  combinations 
there  at  work.  From  Faith  sprang  Hope  in 
the  form  of  a  roan  daughter  of  that  name — got 
by  the  white  bull  Leonard — that  went  to  the 
Yorkshire  Show  in  1845  as  a  two-year-old  and 
there  became  one  of  the  first  of  a  long  and 
truly  regal  line  of  Warlaby  winners. 

In  1846  Richard  Booth  made  his  bow  at  the 
Royal,  held  that  year  in  the  Tyneside  Country, 
near  Newcastle.  Bracelet  and  Necklace  were 
there,  but  fortunately  had  graduated  into  the 
class  for  "  extra  stock."  Leonard's  daughter 


JOHN  BOOTH'S  BIRTHDAY  AT  FOUR  YEARS  OLD. 


THE  BOOTH  Cow  VIVANDIERE  AT  FIVE  YEARS. 
Bred  by  John  Outhwaiti,  Bainesse,  Yorkshire,  England. 


KILLERBY    AND   WARLABY.  127 

Hope,  then  three  years  old,  defeated  all  other 
cows  of  her  age  in  the  yard,  repeating  the  per- 
formance at  the  Yorkshire  at  Wakefield.  Not 
only  did  the  handsome  Hope  accomplish  this  in 
1846,  but  what  was  even  more  to  the  point  dur- 
ing that  same  year  she  produced  to  the  cover 
of  Buckingham  the  red  heifer  Charity,  that  sub- 
sequently attained  imperishable  renown  as  the 
mother  of 

Crown  Prince  (10087).— This  extraordinary 
breeding  bull  was  a  roan,  dropped  by  Charity 
May  10,  1849,  to  a  service  by  the  white  Fitz 
Leonard  (7010).  Mr.  Carr  says:  "Of  Charity, 
who  so  long  graced  the  Warlaby  pastures,  it  is 
sufficient  to  say  that  she  was  the  personifica- 
tion of  all  that  is  beautiful  in  Short-horn  shape. 
Such  was  her  regularity  of  form  that  a  straight 
wand  laid  along  her  side  longitudinally  from 
the  lower  flank  to  the  forearm  and  from  the 
hips  to  the  upper  part  of  the  shoulder  blades 
touched  at  almost  every  point;  her  quarters 
were  so  broad,  her  crops  and  shoulders  so  full, 
her  ribs  so  boldly  projected,  and  the  space  be- 
tween them  and  the  well-cushioned  hips  so 
arched  over  with  flesh  as  to  form  a  continuous 
line.  It  was  difficult  for  the  most  hypercritical 
eye  to  detect  a  failing  point  in  this  perfectly- 
molded  animal,  and  it  was  in  consequence  of 
Mr.  Booth's  high  appreciation  of  her  merits  and 
those  of  her  son  that  he  made  such  free  use  of 


128        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLK 

Crown  Prince.  Charity  won  every  prize  for 
which  she  was  shown  save  one,  when  she  was 
beaten  as  a  calf  by  another  of  the  same  herd, 
after  which  her  career  was  one  of  unvaried 
success.  She  was  thrice  decked  with  the  white 
rosette  at  the  Royal  and  thrice  at  the  Yorkshire 
meetings." 

The  Prince  proved  probably  the  greatest 
stock-getter  of  all  the  many  celebrated  bulls  ever 
used  at  Warlaby.  He  was  never  shown,  so  val- 
uable were  his  services  in  the  breeding  herd; 
his  capacity  in  that  respect  was  attested  not 
only  by  such  champion  show  cattle  as  Necta- 
rine Blossom  and  the  four  peerless  "Queens," 
but  his  bulls — for  one  of  which,  the  champion 
Windsor,  Mr.  Booth  refused  £1,000 — were  in 
demand  from  all  parts  of  the  Kingdom.  But 
one  of  his  sons,  Duke  of  Buckingham,  was  ever 
sold,  Mr.  Booth  preferring  to  retain  the  owner- 
ship of  all.  They  were  let  and  used  with  re- 
markable results  on  some  of  the  best  herds  of 
their  time.  Mr.  Carr,  the  accomplished  histo- 
rian of  the  Booths,  said  of  Crown  Prince:  "To 
the  visitor  at  Warlaby  I  would  say,  '  Si  monu- 
mentum  requiris,  circumspice!"  If  you  ask 
where  is  his  monument,  look  around  you. 

Isabella  Buckingham  and  other  celebrities. 
— Isabella,  by  Pilot,  had  produced  nine  calves 
before  her  transfer  to  Warlaby,  but  she  there 
gave  birth  at  the  extreme  age  of  eighteen  years 


KILLERBY    AND    WARLABY.  129 

to  the  white  heifer  Isabella  (Vol.  VI,  page  405, 
Coates'  Herd  Book),  by  Young  Matchem  (4422), 
that  subsequently  produced  the  white  Fitz 
Leonard  (7010),  sire  of  Crown  Prince  (10087); 
the  big,  broad-backed,  heavy-loined  roan  sire 
and  show  bull  Vanguard  (10994),  that  acquired 
fame  in  the  great  Booth-bred  herd  of  Mr.  Torr, 
and  the  roan  heifers  Innocence  and  Isabella 
Buckingham.  Innocence  in  turn  produced  the 
white  Leonidas  (10414),  that  sired  the  famous 
Monk  (11824) — also  white — one  of  the  best  of 
the  Warlaby  bulls.  Carr  says  that  the  hair  of 
Leonidas  was  so  long  that  it  fairly  "  waved  in 
the  wind,  like  the  wool  on  a  sheep's  back." 
Isabella  Buckingham,  "a  superb  cow  of  great 
substance,"  was  a  roan,  dropped  March  29, 
1845,  and  as  her  name  implies  was  a  daughter 
of  Bracelet's  son  Buckingham.  She  thus  joined 
the  blood  of  one  of  the  greatest  of  all  Killerby 
cows  to  that  of  the  queenly  Isabella.  The  "im- 
posing grandeur"  of  the  Warlaby  Isabellas  was 
a  theme  upon  which  admirers  of  the  herd  ever 
loved  to  dwell,  and  Isabella  Buckingham  of 
that  line,  like  Charity,  reaped  a  rich  harvest  of 
ribbons  and  rosettes. 

Indeed  after  1846  Warlaby 's  place  in  the  Na- 
tional shows  was  for  many  years  unquestioned. 
At  the  Northampton  Royal  of  1847  Cherry  Blos- 
som (by  Buckingham),  a  noble  cow  "with  mas- 
sive fore  quarters  and  of  stately  presence,"  was 


130        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

first;  Isabella  Buckingham  was  first-prize  two- 
year-old,  and  Charity  the  first-prize  yearling. 
At  the  same  show  held  at  York  in  1848  Hope, 
Charity  and  Isabella  were  all  winners.  At  the 
Norwich  Royal  of  1849  Charity  was  first  and 
Isabella  second,  Cherry  Blossom  heading  the 
post-graduate  class,  and  at  the  Highland  Show 
at  Glasgow  they  repeated  in  Scotland  what 
they  had  accomplished  " South  o'  Tweed." 

Meantime  Hope  had  produced  to  Buckingham 
the  roan  bull  Hopewell  (10332),  that  early  dem- 
onstrated his  mettle  by  winning  first  as  a  year- 
ling at  Leeds  in  1849.  Hopewell  became  a  sire 
of  great  renown,  Mr.  Booth  receiving  for  his 
services  while  on  hire  in  various  herds  the  great 
sum  of  £1,000.  To  the  cover  of  Cherry  Blos- 
som's own  brother,  Baron  Warlaby  (7813),  Hope 
gave  birth  to  the  short-legged,  thrifty  roan  bull 
Harbinger  (10297),  that  won  as  a  yearling  at 
the  Exeter  Royal  of  1850,  and  afterward  proved 
a  wonderful  stock-getter,  siring  the  prize  cow 
Bridesmaid  and  Red  Rose,  the  dam  of  the  won- 
derful "Queens"  to  be  mentioned  further  on. 
He  also  became  known  on  this  side  of  the  At- 
lantic as  the  sire  of  Mr.  Alexander's  imp.  Ma- 
zurka, ancestress  of  a  very  noted  American 
tribe.  Isabella  Buckingham  was  first-prize  cow 
at  same  show. 

Windsor  (14013)  and  the  Blossoms. — We  have 
already  noted  the  appearance  of  the  first  of  this 


KILLERBY   AND   WARLABY.  131 

family,Cherry  Blossom,  in  the  show-yard.  In  1851 
the  roan  four-year-old  cow  Plum  Blossom,  by 
Buckingham,*  in  calf  to  Crown  Prince,  won  the 
first  prize  at  the  Windsor  Royal,  and  in  Octo- 
ber following  she  gave  birth  to  a  white  bull 
calf  that  afterward  carried  all  before  him  at 
the  National  and  Northern  county  shows.  In 
honor  of  his  mother's  victory  at  the  Eoyal  he 
was  dubbed  Windsor.  The  calf  began  his  win- 
nings at  Sheffield  the  following  summer.  That 
same  year  another  of  this  family,  Rose  Blossom, 
gained  first  as  a  two-year-old  at  the  Royal. 

Windsor  made  ten  shows  and  won  nine  first 
prizes,  being  the  "bull  card"  of  the  Warlaby 
exhibit  from  1852  to  1855.  He  was  spoken  of 
as  "the  Comet  of  modern  times.  A  very  sym- 
metrical animal,  of  extraordinary  length,  with 
a  good  masculine  head  and  horn,  a  well-formed 
neck,  a  very  deep  and  prominent  breast,  and 
well-covered,  obliquely-laid  shoulders;  his  back 
was  admirably  formed — firm  and  level — and 
his  ribs  were  finely  arched  up  to  the  shoulders, 
forming  a  cylindrical  shape  throughout;  his 

*Pium  Blossom,  according  to  Carr,  was  "a level,  lengthy,  short-legged 
cow  of  great  substance.  She  had  abundance  of  hair,  of  a  rich  purple  roan, 
a  very  sweet  head  and  high-bred  appearance.  While  still  but  a  slip  of  a 
heifer  (for  Plum  Blossom  was  no  hot-house  nursjing,  but  a  wilding  of  the 
fields  from  her  birth)  Mr.  Eastwood,  visiting  Warlaby  with  the  late  Mr. 
Booth,  had  the  sagacity  to  foresee  the  perfection  to  which  she  would  ma- 
ture. He  made  tempting  overtures  to  compass  her  transfer  to  Towneley, 
which  he  flattered  himself  the  latter  did  not  seem  disinclined  to  entertain; 
but  on  reviving  the  subject  after  dinner  Mr.  Booth  dashed  his  hopes  by  in- 
timating that  he  could  not  allow  him  to  '  put  in  his  thumb  and  pull  out  this 
plum.' " 


132        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

quarters  were  very  long  and  flat,  his  thighs, 
flank  and  twist  remarkably  deep  and  full,  and 
his  legs  short  and  fine  below  the  knee.  From 
the  top  of  his  shoulder  to  the  tip  of  his  brisket 
he  measured  four  feet  ten  inches."  After  win- 
ning at  the  Carlisle  Royal  in  1855  an  Australian 
breeder  offered  £l.OOO  for  him,  which  proposi- 
tion Mr.  Booth  declined.  Windsor  was  sire  of 
the  great  show  cow  Soldier's  Bride,  presently 
to  be  mentioned. 

A  few  years  later  the  big,  all-conquering 
Nectarine  Blossom,  by  Crown  Prince,  appeared. 
In  1857  she  was  the  first-prize  cow  at  York.  In 

1858  she  was  first  at  the  Royal,  first  at  the 
Yorkshire  and  winner  of  the  100-guinea  cup  at 
Durham  Show  as  best  animal  in  the  yard.     In 

1859  she  was  again  first  among  cows  at  the 
Royal.    Of  this  tribe  also  was  that  broad,  thick- 
fleshed  prize  cow  Venus  Victrix,  shown  by  John 
Booth,  as*  already  noticed. 

Bride,  Bridesmaid  and  Bride  Elect.  —  A 
branch  of  Mr.  Booth's  favorite  old  Halnaby 
tribe  threw  out  a  blooming  bevy  of  show-yard 
favorites  between  the  years  1847  and  1857,  be- 
ginning with  Bagatelle  by  Buckingham,  and 
including  Bride,  by  Hopewell,  Bridesmaid  by 
Harbinger,  and  the  extraordinary  white  cow 
Bride  Elect  by  Vanguard  (10994).  The  latter 
was  regarded  as  the  wonder  of  her  day  in  re- 
spect to  her  astonishing  development  of  bosom 


KILLERBY    AND    WARLABY.  133 

and  fore  quarters,  and  also  carried  a  beautiful 
head  and  horn.  She  was  a  leading  winner  in 
the  Warlaby  show  herds  from  1854  to  1858. 

The  quartette  of  "  Queens."— The  same  Hal- 
naby  or  Strawberry  tribe  that  gave  Warlaby 
these  Brides  appeared  again  in  full  flower  just 
as  Bride  Elect  began  to  lose  her  bloom;*  Red 
Rose,  by  Harbinger,  producing  to  the  cover  of 
Crown  Prince  that  remarkable  group  of  heifers 
Queen  of  the  May,  Queen  Mab,  Queen  of  the 
Vale,  and  finally  the  noble  Queen  o  f  the  Ocean. 
It  is  related  that  a  blank  check  tendered  by 
Rev.  J.  Bolden  for  Red  Rose — the  dam  of  these 
celebrities — when  she  was  a  heifer  was  refused. 
Mr.  Booth's  vision  as  to  her  future  usefulness 
was  in  this  case  prophetic,  as  he  was  afterward 
offered  1,500  guineas  for  Queen  of  the  May,  the 
first  of  the  daughters  to  enter  the  show-yard. 
This  heifer  began  winning  as  a  yearling  at  the 
Chelmsford  Royal  of  1856.  Queen  Mab,  "the 
Greek  beauty/'  entered  the  prize  list  as  a  year- 
ling at  the  same  society's  show  at  Shrewsbury 
in  1857.  Queen  of  the  Vale  came  forward  in 
1858.  Queen  of  the  Ocean  was  presented  as  a 
cow  at  the  Battersea  Royal  of  1862,  receiving 
first  in  her  class  and  gold  medal  as  best  female 
in  the  yard.  That  same  year  she  won  the  100- 

*Old  Cuddy,  longtime  herdsman  for  Mr.  Booth,  would  say:  "  Aye!  yen's 
poor  auld  Bride  Elect.  Did  ye  ever  see  sic  an  a  breast  and  sic  leegrht  tim- 
bers? Yan  wad  wonder  how  sic  bane  could  bear  sae  muckle  beef.  Look  at 
her  rumps  and  thighs,  and  loins,  and  aboon  a',  that  breast  1  Why  there  be 
an  aist  plenty  for  twa  beasts  1  ' 


134        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

guinea  cup  championship  at  Durham  County 
Show.  In  1863,  shown  with  Soldier's  Bride, 
she  was  one  of  the  first-prize  pair  of  cows  at 
the  Worcester  Royal,  and  first  at  the  York- 
shire, Northumberland,  North  Lancashire,  Cra- 
ven, Halifax  and  Keighley  Shows. 

Queen  of  the  May  has  been  described  as  al- 
most a  model.  Her  loins  and  chine  were  broad 
and  deeply  covered,  her  head  sweetly  feminine 
and  her  shoulders,  girth  and  neck  veins  fault- 
less. Her  quarters  were  long  and  level;  her 
only  weakness  being  at  the  thigh.  She  was 
unfortunately  permanently  injured  on  a  rail- 
way journey.  Queen  of  the  Yale  and  Queen 
Mab  were  described  in  the  Journal  of  the  High- 
land Agricultural  Society,  after  winning  first 
and  second  respectively  at  Perth,  in  the  follow- 
ing language: 

"Queen  of  the  Vale  is  a  cow  of  faultless  proportions,  a  perfect 
parallelogram  in  form,  with  well-fleshed,  obliquely-laid  shoulders, 
a  good  head  and  a  very  sweet  neck  and  bosom,  sweeping  finely 
into  the  shoulders,  the  points  of  which  are  completely  hidden  by 
the  full  neck  vein.  Queen  Mab  is,  if  possible,  still  more  remarka- 
ble than  her  sister  for  her  broad,  thick,  level  loins,  depth  of  twist 
and  armful  of  flank ;  but  she  is  now  perhaps  less  faultless,  as  her 
hind  quarters  are  becoming  plain  and  patchy  from  fat.  She  is, 
however,  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  Queen  of  the  Vale  in  her  mar- 
velous capacity  of  girth,  fore  rib  and  bosom.  Like  her  sister,  she 
maintains  her  cylindrical  proportions  wonderfully  throughout, 
the  ribs  retaining  their  circular  form  up  to  the  shoulders,  with 
which  they  blend  without  any  depression  either  at  the  crops  or 
behind  the  elbow,  and  from  thence  the  fore  quarters  taper  beauti- 
fully to  the  head." 

The  massive  Queen  of  the  Ocean  was  a  royal 
specimen  of  her  race,  with  the  traditional 


KILLERBY   AND   WARLABY.  135 

Booth  wealth  of  flesh,  shortness  of  leg  and 
perfect  fore  quarters.  The  Battersea  judges 
called  her  "all  that  a  cow  should  be."  She 
became  the  dam  of  the  bull  Prince  of  Batter- 
sea,  that  won  a  lot  of  prizes  as  a  calf  and 
yearling  but  died  from  the  effect  of  overheat- 
ing at  the  Newcastle  Royal  of  1864.  The  great 
price  of  800  guineas  had  been  refused  for  him. 
Queen  of  the  Vale  had  a  heifer,  Queen  of  the 
May  2d,  that  also  became  a  great  winner. 
Three  of  the  victories  of  Queen  Mab,  Nectarine 
Blossom  and  Queen  of  the  May  reduced  to  Mr. 
Booth's  possession  the  Durham  Society's  100- 
guinea  challenge  cup,  which  thereafter  became 
an  heirloom  of  the  house  of  Warlaby. 

Vivandiere,  Campfollower  and  Soldier's 
Bride.  —  One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  the 
Warlaby  matrons  was  the  prolific  Vivandiere, 
by  Buckingham.  Her  description  indicates 
that  she  was  what  the  Scotch  herdsmen  call 
"a  lady  coo,"  or  what  is  in  common  cattle- 
breeding  parlance  a  "breedy"  cow.  Mr.  Carr 
incidentally  gives  us  Richard  Booth's  testi- 
mony to  be  added  to  that  of  nearly  all  other 
eminent  breeders  to  the  effect  that  good  breed- 
ing cows  usually  have  good  heads.  He  says: 
"The  modest  Vivandiere,  with  her  beautiful 
head,  was  frequently  unobserved,  except  by  the 
admirers  of  a  well-filled  udder,  unless  brought 
into  notice  by  the  quiet  observation  from  her 


136        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

owner  'Look  at  that  head  and  hair!'"  She 
had  ten  calves,  among  them  being  the  prize- 
winning  Prince  Alfred,  Prince  Arthur,  Wel- 
come, Vivacity,  Verity,  Soldier's  Nurse,  and  the 
great  cow  Campfollower.  Prince  Alfred  gained 
many  prizes  in  1864  and  1865,  was  used  at 
Windsor,  was  let  one  year  to  the  Emperor  Na- 
poleon III  for  the  French  Government  Experi- 
mental Farm  and  afterward  spent  two  years  at 
Lady  Pigot's;  Her  Ladyship  being  an  enthusi- 
astic breeder  of  Booth  Short-horns,  and  produc- 
ing among  other  celebrities  Rosedale,  by  Va- 
lasco.  Mr.  Booth  did  not  make  a  practice  of 
showing  his  stock  bulls,  but  Dixon  says  that 
"old  Prince  Alfred  after  making  a  perfect 
Ulysses  of  himself  in  the  home  farms  of 
princes,  emperors  and  baronets  came  out  and 
was  first  in  the  bull  class  in  the  eleventh  year 
of  his  age." 

One  of  the  most  valuable  cows  ever  produced 
at  Warlaby  was  Vivandiere's  daughter  Camp- 
follower,  by  Crown  Prince.  She  was  described 
as  "a  truly  noble  cow,  with  queenly  gait." 
Moreover,  she  would  have  been  a  profitable 
cow  in  any  working  dairy.  Indeed,  she  died  at 
last  from  milk  fever,  after  giving  birth  to  the 
heifer  Soldier's  Nurse,  that  was  presented  by 
Richard  Booth  to  his  nephews  at  Killerby.  In 
the  hands  of  the  latter  the  " Nurse"  produced 
Soldier's  Dream  and  the  thick,  heavy-fleshed 


CM 

^ 

a 

a;  .« 


^  I? 


It 

8f 
f 


KILLERBY   AND   WARLABY.  137 

bull  Brigade  Major,  by  Valasco.  Campfollower 
probably  contributed  as  much  to  the  ultimate 
fame  of  Warlaby  as  any  other  member  of  the 
herd.  Bred  to  Windsor  (14013)  she  produced 
in  1859  the  celebrated  white  show  cow  Soldier's 
Bride.  As  a  yearling  the  latter  grew  into  an 
astonishing  specimen  of  early  maturity,  and 
later  on  became  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
cows  of  her  time,  her  grandly-arched  ribs, 
beautiful  bosom  and  great  heart-girth  marking 
her  as  one  of  the  outstanding  Short-horns  of 
her  day  and  generation.  She  traveled  the  cir- 
cuit for  several  years  with  her  renowned  stable 
companion  Queen  of  the  Ocean,  had  the  honor 
of  defeating  that  extraordinary  cow  upon  sev- 
eral occasions,  and  in  1865  became  the'dam  of 
the  roan  heifer  Bride  of  the  Vale,  sold  to  Wal- 
cott  &  Campbell  of  New  York  for  $5,000.  In  the 
spring  of  1864  Campfollower  dropped  the  roan 
bull  Commander-in-Chief  (21451),  by  Valasco 
(15443),  in  reference  to  which  the  venerable 
Mr.  Wetherell  said:  "He  is  the  best  bull  I 
have  seen  since  the  days  of  Comet/'  In  the 
hands  of  Mr.  T.  C.  Booth,  who  succeeded  to  the 
possession  of  Warlaby  Herd,  Commander-in- 
Chief  acquired  international  fame. 

Death  of  Richard  Booth.— On  the  31st  of 
October,  1864,  "full  of  years  and  honors,"  Rich- 
ard Booth  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-six. 
Shortly  before  his  death  he  had  refused  an 


138        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

offer  of  £15,000  for  his  herd,  which,  while  at 
that  time  reduced  to  some  thirty  head,  included, 
among  other  "future-great"  individuals,  Lady 
Blithe's  sensational  yearling  heifer  Lady  Fra- 
grant and  Campfollower's  baby  bull  Com- 
mander-in-Chief — a  pair  destined  to  add,  in 
other  hands,  fresh  laurels  to  the  house  of 
Booth.  The  delightful  "Boswell"  of  this  re- 
markable family  of  Short-horn  breeders  (Wil- 
liam Carr)  takes  leave  of  Richard  Booth,  "the 
good  old  man,"  in  the  following  characteristic 
language : 

"He  sleeps  in  peace  beneath  the  shade  of  the  old  grey  tower 
of  Ainderby,  that  looks  down  upon  the  scene  of  his  useful  and 
quiet  labors.  But  Warlaby  is  there  still,  and  his  kith  and  kin 
retain  its  hall  and  herd.  And  it  may  be  added — for  it  is  a  circum- 
stance too  well  known  to  savor  at  all  of  flattery — that  his  nephew 
and  successor,  Mr.  T.  C.  Booth,  is  no  unworthy  or  unskillful  heir, 
while  his  amiable  wife  lends  a  new  charm  to  the  old  place;  and 
his  rising  family  gives  the  promise  of  the  continuance  of  the  long- 
continued  Warlaby  herd  for  generations  yet  to  come. " 

The  Booth  method  of  breeding. — The  Messrs. 
Booth  always  adhered  to. the  proposition  that 
they  secured  their  best  results  by  interbreed- 
ing their  own  established  tribes.  At  the  same 
time  they  were  aware  of  the  fact  that  inbreed- 
ing the  cattle  in  their  possession  was  quite  a 
different  proposition  from,  and  was  probably 
attended  by  more  dangers  than,  inbreeding  as 
practiced  by  the  Collings.  In  the  latter  case 
the  cattle  that  were  incestuously  bred  had  no 
prior  relationships.  With  the  Booth  stock  as 


KILLERBY    AND    WARLABY.  139 

it  existed  at  Warlaby  inbreeding  meant  the 
mating  of  close  affinities,  as  nearly  all  ran  back 
originally  to  Hubback  and  Favorite  through  a 
hundred  different  channels.  So  we  find  them 
introducing  at  a  comparatively  early  period  the 
Mason  blood  of  Matchem — to  which  Bates  also 
resorted  later — and  Lord  Stanley  (4269),  of  the 
Earl  of  Carlisle's  breeding.  The  oreeding  of 
John  Booth's  Bracelet  to  Col.  Cradock's  Mus- 
sulman, and  of  Richard  Booth's  White  Straw- 
berry to  Lord  Lieutenant,  of  Raine's  blood, 
proved  to  be  wise  procedure.  Neither  Buck- 
ingham nor  Leonard,  the  two  bulls  secured 
from  those  outside  services,  were  extraordi- 
nary individuals.  In  fact  the  former  was 
called  "shabby."  But  when  the  fresh  blood 
(50  per  cent)  carried  by  these  bulls  was  re- 
duced to  25  per  cent,  as  found  in  their  prog- 
eny, the  result,  as  must  appear  from  the  fore- 
going recital,  was  all  that  could  be  desired. 
Indeed,  in  the  case  of  the  matchless  sire  Crown 
Prince  both  of  these  fresh  currents  met  in  di- 
luted form.  Lord  Stanley,  bred  to  Bracelet, 
gave  John  Booth's  noted  show  cow  Birthday. 
Two  later  attempts  at  outcrossing  were 
made,  one  through  the  bull  Exquisite  (8048) 
and  the  other  through  Water  King  (11024),  but 
both  were  considered  at  the  time  as  having 
been  unsuccessful.  Nevertheless  Isabella  Buck- 
ingham's daughter  Sample,  by  Exquisite,  was 


140        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

bred  to  Crown  Prince,  and  the  product  of  that 
union — a  heifer  called  Specimen — was  (con- 
trary to  Mr.  Booth's  usual  practice)  bred  back 
to  her  own  sire  (Crown  Prince);  the  double 
cross  of  that  bull  upon  the  outcrossed  cow  pro- 
ducing the  prize-winning  Lady  Grace,  that  was 
first  at  the  Cleveland  Show  at  Yarm  in  1861. 
In  her  the  true  Booth  type  was  completely  re- 
gained, and  her  daughter  Graceful  was  one  of 
a  pair  of  prize  heifers  at  Worcester  Royal. 
Carr  states  that  both  of  these  animals  were  of 
robust  constitution,  with  abundance  of  hair. 
Exquisite  was  bought  by  Messrs.  Booth  and 
Torr  at  the  Wiseton  sale  at  thirteen  months 
old  for  370  guineas,  He  is  said  to  have  had 
plenty  of  substance  and  "  a  profusion  of  beau- 
tiful hair,"  and  combined  Mason's  and  Earl 
Spencer's  blood. 

Water  King  was  a  roan,  bred  by  Mr.  Torr 
from  Baron  Warlaby  (7813)  out  of  the  Bates 
Waterloo  cow  Water  Witch  by  4th  Duke  of 
Northumberland  (3649).  While  Mr.  Booth  did 
not  fancy  his  calves,  yet  one  of  his  daughters — 
Peach  Blossom — was  good  enough  to  go  into 
the  show  herd  in  1852,  and  won  second  to 
Bridesmaid  at  the  Royal  at  Gloucester.  A 
Water  King  heifer — Welcome,  from  Campfol- 
lower — was  called  "homely,"  but  her  daughter 
Welcome  Hope,  by  Hopewell,  was  good.  Old 
Cuddy  said  of  her:  "Aye,  Hopewell  has  putten 


KILLERBY   AND    WARLABY.  141 

in  some  gude  work  when  he  gat  that  heifer. 
She  wad  make  up  a  slashin'  cow,  though  she 
have  a  touch  o'  Bates  bluid  in  her;  but  then, 
ye  ken,  Hope  well  wad  mak'  up  a'  deficiencies." 

The  fecundity  of  the  Booth  cattle  was  un- 
favorably affected  by  high  feeding  for  show. 
They  had  not  been'  as  intensely  bred  as  the 
Bates  Duchesses.  The  limited  number  of  the 
latter  produced  during  a  period  of  nearly  fifty 
years  by  Mr.  Bates — as  shown  by  the  table 
printed  on  page  113 — was  unquestionably  due 
to  incestuous  mating.  The  complete  extinc- 
tion, in  the  female  line,  of  some  of  the  best 
Warlaby  tribes — such  as  the  Blossoms  and 
Charities — was  laid  at  the  door  of  the  exacting 
requirements  of  the  Royal  and  other  sjiow- 
yards. 

We  may  conclude  this  reference  to  the  work 
of  John  and  Eichard  Booth  by  the  following 
quotation  from  Saddle  and  Sirloin: 

"A  more  remarkable  contrast  than  these  two  celebrated  broth- 
ers, both  in  form  and  temperament,  is  seldom  met  with  in  prac- 
tice. John,  the  elder,  was,  like -Robert  Colling,  perhaps  the  more 
original  thinker  of  the  two,  but  not  the  same  steady  worker.  He 
was  more  the  man  of  the  world,  fond  of  a  gallop  with  the  Bedale 
and  always  ripe  and  ready  for  a  little  fun;  while  Richard  was 
much  more  of  the  dignified  recluse  and  thought  'no  place  like 
home.'  John  delighted  to  go  off  on  judging  expeditions,  while 
Richard  never  donned  the  ermine  and  only  cared  for  a  good  lodg- 
ing or  his  '  ease  at  mine  inn  '  during  a  great  show,  that  he  might 
see  a  few  select  standard-bearers,  who  would  share  his  winning 
pleasure  or  sympathize  with  him  if  he  were  beaten.  John  was  an 
apt  and  ready  speaker  and  never  sat  down  without  some  quaint, 
racy  sentiment  which  set  the  table  in  a  roar ;  Richard  merely  rose 


142        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

and  bowed  to  the  Chairman  and  Vice  in  turn  and  let  himself  down 
again,  with  a  simple  word  of  thanks  to  the  company.  One  was 
more  off-handed  and  hardly  valued  his  herd  enough ;  the  other  was 
the  man  of  business  who  appraised  it  to  a  nicety." 

The  Warlaby  bulls  were  for  years  in  such 
demand  that  it  was  with  difficulty  customers 
could  be  supplied.  Ireland's  Short-horn  herds 
were  fairly  dominated  by  them,  while  in  Eng- 
land such  distinguished  breeders  as  Lady  Pigot, 
Messrs.  Torr,  Bruere,  Outhwaite,  Peel,  Pawlett 
and  others,  by  their  intelligent  manipulation  of 
Booth  blood,  assisted  materially  in  giving  it 
that  high  renown  which  it  has  so  long  enjoyed. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


OTHER  EMINENT   ENGLISH    BREEDERS. 

The  earlier  volumes  of  the  English  Herd 
Book  contain  the  names  of  many  successful 
breeders,  but  the  operations  of  most  of  them 
were  more  or  less  obscured  by  the  brilliant 
achievements  at  Ketton,  Barmpton,  Killerby, 
Kirklevington  and  Warlaby.  It  nlust  not  be 
supposed,  however,  that  all  early  knowledge  of 
the  art  of  Short-horn-breeding  began  and  ended 
with  the  eminent  breeders  mentioned  in  the 
foregoing  pages.  The  careers  of  these  Napo- 
leons of  the  trade  necessarily  occupy  our  atten- 
tion somewhat  to  the  disadvantage  of  other 
worthy  workers  in  the  cause  of  improvement, 
but  no  survey  of  the  foundation  upon  which 
our  American  Short-horn-breeding  rests  would 
be  complete  without  some  reference  at  this 
point  to  a  few  other  herds  that  existed  prior  to, 
or  contemporaneous  with,  the  period  when  our 
leading  pioneer  buyers  entered  the  English 
market. 

Mason  of  Chilton.— About  midway  between, 
the  cities  of  Durham  and  Darlington  Mr.  Chris- 

(143). 


144        A  HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

topher  Mason  of  Chilton  established  a  herd  from 
which  Kirklevington,  Killerby,  Warlaby,  Ury, 
Sittyton  and  various  American  herds  derived 
undoubted  elements  of  strength — various  de- 
tractors to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  Mr. 
Wetherell  always  insisted  that  "Mason  got  rid 
of  the  open  shoulders  and  improved  the  fore 
quarters  generally."  The  foundation  of  the 
herd  was  drawn  largely  from  the  stock  of  Mr. 
Maynard  of  Eryholme.  One  section  of  it  de- 
scended •  through  Miss  Lax,  by  Dalton  Duke 
(188),  a  daughter  of  "the  beautiful  Lady  May- 
nard," bought  by  Charles  Colling,  as  detailed  in 
a  preceding  chapter.  From  this  cow  and  her 
white  heifer,  Lily  by  Favorite  (252),  descended 
the  great  family  of  Victorias  afterward  so  pop- 
ular on  both  sides  the  Atlantic.  From  Lily's 
family  also  came  Earl  Spencer's  Hecatomb 
(2102),  that  defeated  Mr.  Bates'  renowned  Duke 
of  Northumberland  (1940)  at  York  in  1838. 
From  Lily  also  descended  Great  Mogul  (14661), 
first-prize  bull  calf  at  Salisbury  Royal;  like- 
wise Exquisite  (8048),  for  which  Messrs.  Booth 
and  Torr  paid  $1,850  as  a  yearling;  and  also 
the  Royal  prize-winning  roan  Bolivar  (25649), 
sold  to  Mr.  Brierley. 

Another  section  of  the  Chilton  herd  de- 
scended from  the  cow7  Fortune,  bred  by  Charles 
Colling,  and  running  through  Bolingbroke  (86), 
Foljambe  (263)  and  Hubback  (319)  to  *  cow 


OTHER    EMINENT    ENGLISH    BREEDERS.        145 

bred  by  Mr.  Maynard.  She  proved  very  pro- 
lific, giving  Mr.  Mason  ten  calves  (of  which  six 
were  bulls)  between  1796  and  1807.  America 
is  indebted  to  Fortune,  as  foundation  dam, 
for  the  Woodburn  Miss  Wileys  and  the  fa- 
mous Bedford  and  Warfield  Loudon  Duch- 
esses. Also  for  the  Baroness  family,  ten  of 
which  sold  at  E.  G.  Bedford's  sale  in  1874  for 
an  average  of  $600  each.  Our  Lady  Chester- 
fords  claim  a  similar  origin;  and  of  this  tribe 
was  Dodona,  a  noted  English  cow  that,  after 
having  been  sold  to  Earl  Spencer  as  barren, 
in  the  skillful  hands  of  Mr.  Jonas  Webb  had 
190  descendants  within  a  period  of  twenty-five 
years.  Matchem  (2281),  sire  of  the  Matchem 
cow  that  gave  Mr.  Bates  his  Oxford  tribe,  was 
bred  by  Mason  from  a  Fortune  foundation. 
The  Matchem  blood  also  went  into  the  Booth 
herds.  Usurer  (9768),  used  by  Lord  Ducie  upon 
the  Bates  Duchesses,  came  from  Cassandra, 
daughter  of  Mr.  Mason's  No.  25;  and  of  simi- 
lar extraction  was  the  cow  Goodness — ances- 
tress of  the  American  family  of  that  name- 
that  sold  at  auction  in  Kentucky  for  $2,025. 

Mr.  Mason  made  a  memorable  closing-out 
sale  in  1829,  which  was  largely  attended  by 
leading  breeders,  Earl  Spencer  being  one  of  the 
heaviest  buyers.  At  this  sale  the  highest- 
priced  lot  was  the  three-year-old  roan  heifer 

Lady  Sarah,  by  Satellite  (1420).  purchased  by 
10 


146        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Capt.  Barclay  of  Ury,  along  with  several  other 
females,  and  taken  to  Scotland.  Her  dam  was 
the  famous  Portia.  At  Ury  Lady  Sarah  was 
bred  back  to  her  own  son,  Monarch  (4495),  the 
produce  being  the  great  breeding  bull  Mahomed, 
(6170),  sire  of  The  Pacha  (7612)  and  other  ani- 
mals from  whence  many  of  Scotland's  greatest 
cattle  have  descended.  From  this  same  Mason 
sale  also  came  Mary  Ann  (by  Sillery),  ances- 
tress of  a  noted  Scottish  family.  From  Mr. 
Holmes'  purchases  at  this  sale  (taken  to  Ire- 
land) Mr.  Amos  Cruickshank  afterward  ob- 
tained the  foundation  dam  of  the  Sittyton  Vic- 
torias; and  last,  but  by  no  means  least,  we  may 
pass  some  credit  to  Mason  of  Chilton  for  the 
ancestral  dam  of  the  now-celebrated  Cruick- 
shank bull-breeding  Clipper  tribe. 

Lord  Althorpe  (Earl  Spencer). — The  nobility 
displayed  interest  in  the  breed  in  the  early 
days  as  now.  One  of  the  first  to  engage  in  the 
business  was  Lord  Althorpe,  afterwards  Earl 
Spencer,  of  Wiseton,  near  Doncaster.  He  was 
prominent  in  politics  for  many  years  and  on 
that  account  unable  to  devote  as  much  atten- 
tion to  the  work  as  tenant  farmers  could  give  to 
it,  but  he  nevertheless  managed  to  inform  him- 
self thoroughly  and  finally  accumulated  proba- 
bly the  largest  herd  of  the  day  in  England.* 

*  Earl  Spencer  was  at  one  time  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer.  Still  he 
had  a  much  greater  passion  for  Short-horns  than  for  politics.  John  Grey  of 


OTHER   EMINENT   ENGLISH   BREEDERS.        147 

Bates  early  acquired  an  influence  over  him,  as- 
sisted him  in  some  of  his  selections  of  breeding 
stock,  was  frequently  his  guest  at  Wiseton,  and 
let  for  his  use  one  or  two  of  the  earlier  Duchess 
bulls,  but  subsequently  their  relations  became 
strained,  owing,  it  is  said,  to  His  Lordship's 
endeavoring  to  hire  away  from  Bates  Robert 
Bell,  whom  he  desired  to  put  in  charge  of  the 
Wiseton  Short-horns. 

At  Robert  Colling's  sale  Lord  Althorpe  pur- 
chased the  five-year-old  cow  Nonpareil  at  370 
guineas,  the  four-year-old  Rosette  at  300  guin- 
eas, the  three-year-old  bull  Regent  (544) — all 
by  Wellington — at  145  guineas,  and  Diana,  by 
Favorite,  at  78  guineas.  Mr.  Bates  warned  him 
that  in  his  judgment  these  were  not  of  desira- 
ble breeding  on  account  of  the  large  infusion 
of  the  blood  of  Ben  (70).  He  also  advanced  the 
superior  claims  of  his  Duchesses,  and  induced 
Althorpe  to  send  the  high-priced  Rosette  to  be 
bred  to  Duke  (226),  after  which  the  Duke  bull 
His  Grace  (311)  was  hired  from  Bates.  At  the 
Mason  sale  His  Lordship  bought  sixteen  fe- 
males and  a  bull,  paying  up  to  145  guineas. 

Dilston,  a  man  who  attained  high  honor  in  connection  with  North-Country 
agriculture,  usually  called  on  His  Lordship  at  the  Government  offices  when 
in  London.  "You've  come  about  cows, sir,"  observed  the  attendant,  "so  ye'll  no' 
have  long  to  wait." 

In  his  younger  days  Grey  was  a  schoolmate  of  John  and  Richard  Booth 
at  Richmond.  He  was  a  great  lover  of  cattle  and  was  wont  to  spend  his 
vacations  with  the  Collings,  Charge  and  Maynard.  Dr.  Tate  once  asked 
him  what  he  found  to  talk  about  during-  those  visits,  to  which  the  youth 
replied  in  due  classic  phrase:  "Comet  et  id  genus  omne. ''—Saddle  and  Sirloin. 


148        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

The  Earl  was  more  or  less  of  a  speculator  in 
cattle,  but  was  credited  with  having  done  much 
toward  making  Short-horns  <k  fashionable " 
among  the  great  landed  proprietors.  He  is 
said  to  have  been  the  first  to  command  an  ex- 
tensive bull  trade,  and  has  been  called  a  "cow 
jobber."  His  herd  was  of  mixed  origin  and 
composition,  and  it  is  said  was  crossed  in-and- 
in,  in  imitation  of  the  Collings,  until  constitu- 
tion was  sacrificed.  This  fault  seems  to  have 
been  corrected,  however,  for  at  the  time  of 
Earl  Spencer's  death  in  the  " forties"  the  herd 
numbered  about  150  head,  and  his  legatee,  a 
Mr.  Hall,  soon  afterward  disposed  of  them  at 
public  sale  at  high  prices,  one  bull  bringing  400 
guineas,  another  370  guineas,  and  some  of  the 
cows  200  guineas  each. 

Jonas  Whitaker. — Near  the  great  manufac- 
turing city  of  Leeds,  in  Southwestern  York- 
shire, Mr.  Jonas  Whitaker,  a  Quaker  cotton- 
spinner,  built  up  at  Otley  one  of  the  largest 
and  best  herds  of  its  time;  a  herd  in  which 
some  of  the  greatest  of  the  old-time  bulls  were 
used,  and  from  which  our  early  importers 
drew  some  of  their  most  valuable  material. 
Whitaker  had  more  cattle  recorded  in  the  first 
three  volumes  of  cows  in  Coates'  Herd  Book 
than  any  breeder  in  England,  Earl  Spencer  not 
excepted.  In  fact  it  was  due  to  his  personal 
efforts  that  Coates  was  enabled  to  issue  the 


OTHER    EMINENT    ENGLISH    BREEDERS.        149 

first  volume  of  the  herd  book  at  Otley  in 
1822.  He  was  proud  of  the  dairy  capacity 
of  his  stock,  paying  as  much  attention  to  the 
udder  as  to  any  other  point  in  the  conforma- 
tion of  his  cows  and  heifers.  Among  his  most 
celebrated  bulls  were  Frederick  (1060)  and  his 
sons  Bertram  (1716)  and  Fairfax  (1023).  Fred- 
erick was  intensely  bred  in  the  blood  of  Favor- 
ite and  Comet.  Mr.  Bates'  Enchanter  (244), 
Ketton  3d  (349)  and  2d  Hubback  (1423)  were 
also  in  service.  From  Mason  he  had  His  High- 
ness (2125);  from  Col.  Trotter's  came  Plato 
(505)  and  from  Robert  Ceiling's  Harold  (291). 
Sir  Charles  Tempest's-  Dan  O'Connell  (3557) 
also  appears  in  the  Whitaker  pedigrees. 

When  the  agents  of  the  Ohio  Importing  Co. 
visited  England  in  1834  they  were  much  im- 
pressed by  the  excellence  of  Mr.  Whitaker's 
herd  and  bought  some  of  their  best  cattle  from 
him,  including  the  cow  Josephine,  by  Norfolk, 
and  bull  Duke  of  York  (1941),  by  Frederick. 
From  this  herd  also  came  George  Renick's 
Prince  Charles  (2461),  by  Norfolk.  The  Renicks 
used  Whitaker  blood  freely  in  the  Rose  of 
Sharons.  Mr.  Rotch  and  Col.  Powell — Ameri- 
can importers  of  a  still  earlier  date — had  also 
bought  of  Whitaker,  as  will  be  detailed  further 
on. 

Whitaker  drew  his  foundation  stock  from 
the  best  of  the  old-established  herds,  and  had 


150        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

such  sound  old  blood  as  that  of  Charles  Col- 
ling's  Old  Daisy  and  Magdalena;  Robert  Col- 
ling's  Bright  Eyes  and  Golden  Pippin;  Mason's 
Portia;  Maj.  Rudd's  Daisys;  Mr.  Charge's  Pret- 
tymaid  and  Venus;  John  Booth's  Moss  Roses 
and  Bracelets;  Wetherell's  Rosanne,  a  Red 
Rose  through  the  American  Cow's  line;  Col. 
Trotter's  Georgiana,  the  Feldom  tribe,  from 
whence  came  the  celebrated  progeny  of  Fair 
Frances;  Miss  Fairfax,  dam  of  the  Bristol  Royal 
winner  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax;  the  prolific  Moss 
Rose,  and  Nonpareil,  the  dam  of  the  great  bull 
Norfolk  (2377),  sold  to  Mr.  Fawkes  and  resorted 
to  by  Thomas  Bates.  In  fact  Bates  bought 
Nonpareil  at  Mr.  Whitaker's  dispersion  sale  of 
1833  for  102  guineas,  besides  breeding  some  of 
his  best  cows  to  her  son. 

Wetherell,  the  "Nestor"  of  the  trade.— As 
a  mere  lad  Wetherell  listened  to  the  lively 
bidding  under  the  lime  trees  at  Ketton  in  1810, 
and  like  many  others  had  an  enthusiasm  for 
the  "red,  white  and  roan  "kindled  in  his  breast 
that  day  which  .lasted  throughout  a  long 
and  useful  life.  At  the  Barmpton  sale  eight 
years  later  he  bought  Lady  Anne  at  100  guin- 
eas and  Cleopatra  at  133  guineas,  and  before 
night  had  them  lodged  at  Holm  House,  where 
he  proceeded  to  build  up  his  first  herd.  Here 
was  bred  the  famous  Rosanna  and  the  bulls 
Magnet  (2240)  and  St.  Leger  (1414),  the  latter 


OTHER   EMINENT    ENGLISH    BREEDERS.        151 

sold  to  Mr.  Rennie  for  250  guineas.  The  herd 
was  closed  out  in  1828  and  another  founded 
near  Durham  by  the  purchase  at  strong  prices 
of  good .  cattle  from  contemporary  breeders. 
He  gave  250  guineas  for  Emperor  (1839)  and 
100  guineas  for  his  dam  Blossom  at  Mr.  Hut- 
ton's  sale.  Emperor  was  shown  at  the  New- 
castle Royal  in  1846  and  won  over  a  field  of 
twenty-four  competitors.  He  had  in  this  herd 
also  the  celebrated  Barmpton  Rose,  and  after 
breeding  Princess  Royal  from  her  she  was  sold  to 
Henry  Watson.  She  was  carrying  at  that  time 
Buttercup,  that  became  the  dam  of  Butterfly, 
which  when  crossed  with  Frederick  produced  at 
Towneley  the  never-beaten  $6,000  Master  But- 
terfly. It  was  from  Mr.  WetherelPs  third  herd 
at  Kirkbridge  that  Eastwood  got  Blanche  5th 
by  Duke  of  Northumberland  and  Roan  Duchess. 
From  these  came  Towneley's  great  Roan  Duch- 
ess 2d  and  the  show  heifer  Blanche  6th.  An 
outbreak  of  pleuro-pneumonia  nearly  destroyed 
the  Kirkbridge  Herd  and  the  farm  had  to  be 
given  up,  but  nothing  daunted  a  fourth  herd 
was  established  at  Aldboro.  Here  he  had  in 
charge  of  his  devoted  herdsman,  John  Ward, 
such  good  ones  as  the  roan  Moss  Rose,  that 
stood  next  to  Warlaby's  Nectarine  Blossom  in 
many  a  hard-fought  battle;  the  beautiful  Stan- 
ley Rose  "with  her  gay  little  head  and  Bride 
Elect  bosom";  the  stately  broad-backed  Lady 


152        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Scarboro  and  the  fine  bull  Statesman,  measur- 
ing twenty-six  inches  from  " hooks"  to  tail.  At 
Aldboro  the  roan  Rosette  was  also  bred  (1856) 
and  sold  to  Mr.  Eastwood,  who  declared  her  the 
"best  calf"  he  ever  saw  and  afterward  "the 
sweetest  cow."  She  was  winner  of  many  Royal 
and  other  prizes  and  challenge  cups.  This  herd 
was  at  length  dispersed  at  a  memorable  auction 
sale  which  was  well  attended,  and  averaged 
about  seventy- three  guineas  for  forty-eight  lots. 
Stanley  Rose  topped  the  sale  amid  great  cheer- 
ing at  300  guineas  from  Lady  Pigot. 

In  the  course  of  his  long  and  active  connec- 
tion with  the  trade  Mr.  Wetherell  acquired  a 
great  fund  of  "cattle  lore/'  and  he  was  never 
happier  than  when  in  the  company  of  kindred 
spirits  with  whom  he  could  hold  discourse  on 
the  "red,  white  and  roan."  That  delightful 
"gossip"  of  days  "lang  syne,"  the  late  H.  H. 
Dixon,  who  under  the  nom  de  plume  of  "  The 
Druid"  has  fairly  thrown  a  glamour  of  romance 
about  the  lives  and  characters  of  the  leading 
British  breeders  and  sportsmen  of  the ' olden 
times,  writing  of  Wetherell,  his  home  and  his 
friends,  says: 

"'Nestor's'  little  home  at  Aldborough  has  many  a  herd  me- 
mento on  its  walls.  There  is  the  cow  bred  by  Mr.  Thomas  Booth 
which  he  sold  at  two  years  old  to  Mr.  Carter  of  Theakstone  and 
then  bought  back  at  beef  price  and  put  to  Comus  (1861).  She  had 
three  heifers,  and  Mr.  Rennie  Sr.  of  Phantassie  bid  him  500  guin- 
eas for  them  and  ended  by  buying  the  oldest  out  of  the  pasture 
for  250  guineas.  The  second  went  to  Mr.  Whitaker,  Three  roans 


OTHER   EMINENT    ENGLISH    BREEDERS.        153 

are  there  from  Herring's  hand  and  painted  in  Memnon's  year, 
when  he  was  a  struggling  coachman-artist  in  Spring  Gardens, 
Doncaster.  Comet  (155)  is  said  to  be  the  only  one  by  Weaver  in 
existence.  Mr.  Wetherell  always  thought  Comet  too  long,  but 
still  a  more  elegant  bull  than  Duke  of  Northumberland,  who  had 
also  to  struggle  against  rather  upright  shoulders.  Comet's  kith 
and  kin  are  there  in  St.  John  and  Gaudy,  by  Favorite,  bred  by 
Mason,  who  always  loved  good  hair. 

"'Bid  me  discourse'  is  an  invitation  Mr.  Wetherell  never 
shrank  from;  and,  with  the  brothers  Colling,  Mr.  Thomas  Booth' 
Sir  Tatton  Sykes,  Capt.  Barclay  and  Mr.  Wiley  on  his  walls,  it 
would  be  strange  if  he  did  not  sit  by  the  hour  in  his  easy  chair 
and  tell  of  old  times  and  Short-horn  doings  when  they  were  all  in 
the  flesh.  At  times  the  gig  comes  for  the  Chief  Baron  to  go  over 
and  spend  a  few  days  at  Killerby  and  Warlaby.  He  presides 
there  in  great  state  at  those  '  high-private  trials  '  of  Short-horns 
under  the  trees  in  the  home  garth  and  cites  the  Charity  prece- 
dents. Mr.  John  Outhwaite  frequently  assists,  and,  adopting  a 
mode  of  practice  quite  unknown  to  the  Westminster  law  courts, 
that  learned  Baron  generally  backs  his  opinion  from  the  bench  for 
one,  if  not  two,  new  hats. 

"'Great  constitution'  is  Mr.  Wetherell's  leading  tenet,  but 
'  great  size '  never  was ;  and  if  he  does  illustrate  it  he  goes  to  Col. 
Cradock,  who  gloried  in  it,  and  whose  "Magnum  Bonum  was  like  the 
Great  Eastern."  He  always  considers  that  Earl  Spencer  began  the 
bull  trade  and  made  Short-horns,  so  to  speak,  fashionable  with 
the  landlords.  It  was  the  thing  to  go  to  Wiseton — more  especially 
about  the  St.  Leger  time — and  if  visitors  liked  a  cow  they  bar- 
gained to  give  £50  for  the  produce.  The  Earl  crossed  in  till  he 
sacrificed  constitution — they  had  thin  fore  quarters  and  no  breasts 
— and  it  was  then  that  Mason,  a  very  clever,  first-rate  judge,  a 
hater  of  '  fool's  fat '  and  open  shoulders,  and  most  decided  about 
fore  quarters  and  a  good  neck  vein,  came  to  the  Earl's  aid.  Whit- 
aker  was  a  great  keeper,  and  all  for  the  milk-bag,  and  Bates'  mel- 
low, light-fleshed  sort  grew  less  and  less  robust — they  would  get 
fat,  but  they  would  not  swell  and  thicken  like  the  Booths,  which 
will  stand  any  amount  of  high  pressure.  Such  is  a  mere  fragment 
of  his  confession  of  Short -horn  faith." 

From  WetherelPs  herd  came  some  of  the 
best  of  the  early  American  importations  into 
New  England. 

Wiley  of  Brandsby. — Samuel  Wiley  resided 


154        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

in  the  East  Riding  of  Yorkshire;  "his  long, 
low-pitched  house,  with  the  dark-green  Cotoni- 
astus  creeping  over  it  and  peeping  with  its  red 
flowrets  in  at  every  lattice/'  being  "quite  the 
realization  of  a  snug  Yorkshire  home."  He 
was  a  great  lover  of  Leicester  sheep  and  Short- 
horns, and  in  1814  began  cattle-breeding  by 
hiring  from  Wright  of  Cleasby  a  son  of  the 
$5,000  Comet.  Adonis,  another  Comet  bull, 
did  him  much  good  service,  and  was  followed 
by  an  own  brother,  Jupiter  (343),  the  succession 
being  maintained  by  North  Star  (459)  and  Har- 
old (291),  which  were  returned  to  Robert  Col- 
ling before  the  Barmpton  sale  of  1818.  At  that 
event  he  bought  the  ten-year-old  bull  Midas 
(435),  after  a  bit  of  warm  work  with  Sir  Wil- 
liam Coolie,  at  270  guineas.  From  Midas  he 
bred  his  great  Grazier  (1085),  that  was  used  by 
Sir  John  Johnstone,  Lord  Feversham,  Smith  of 
West  Rasen  and  others  until  fourteen  years  of 
age.  One  of  his  best  sons  was  Ganthorpe  (2049), 
bred  at  Castle  Howard.  Whitaker  blood  was 
introduced  by  Mr.  Wiley  through  His  Highness 
(2125),  an  own  brother  to  the  210-guinea  High- 
flyer at  the  Mason  sale.  Sultan  (1485),  a  de- 
scendant of  Gen.  Simson's  300-guinea  purchase, 
Mary,  at  C.  Colling's  sale,  was  also  used  after 
having  proved  his  worth  by  siring  in  Northum- 
berland a  class  of  cattle  that  the  border  breed- 
ers for  many  years  fondly  styled  "the  good  old 


OTHER   EMINENT    ENGLISH    BREEDERS.        155 

Jobson  sort."  Sultan  got  during  his  one  year's 
service  at  Brandsby  the  cow  Sultana,  from 
which  to  the  cover  of  Belshazzar,  that  had  been 
hired  from  Castle  Howard,  was  bred  the  famous 
bull  Carcase  (3285),  that  as  a  yearling  stood 
second  to  Hecatomb  at  York  in  1838  in  the  bull 
championship  class,  defeating  Mr.  Bates'  Duke 
of  Northumberland,  and  was  soon  afterward 
sold  for  200  guineas. 

Another  prize  bull  of  Wiley's  breeding  was 
Van  Dunck  (10992),  champion  at  the  Yorkshire, 
first-prize  two-year-old  at  the  Highland,  and 
after  being  placed  second  in  the  bull  champion- 
ship at  same  show  to  Maynard's  Crusade  sold 
for  125  guineas  to  an  Aberdeenshire  man.  The 
Wiley  cattle  were  not  much  shown  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  after  these  victories,  but  prizes 
were  not  infrequently  won  on  Brandsby  bul- 
locks at  York  Fat-Stock  Shows.  As  late  as  1869 
Mr.  Wiley  reappeared  with  show  cattle  at  the 
Royal  at  Manchester,  where  he  won  first  in  a 
ring  of  two  dozen  bulls  with  Earl  of  Derby,  and 
at  the  Yorkshire  the  same  bull  was  second  to 
Warlaby's  great  Commander-in-Chief. 

The  Knightley  "  Fillpails."—  Sir  Charles 
Knightley  of  Fawsley  Park,  Daventry,  after  giv- 
ing up  hounds,  about  1818,  founded  a  herd  in 
the  Midlands  that  acquired  a  celebrity  for  its 
output  of  milk,  cream,  butter  and  beef  even 
more  famous  than  that  attained  by  Whitaker. 


156        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Indeed,  the  "Fawsley  Fillpails,"  with  their 
"beautiful  fore  quarters,  gay  carriage,  general 
elegance  and  strong  family  likeness,"  were  long 
recognized  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  as 
constituting  a  type  within  the  breed  almost  as 
distinct  as  those  to  which  Bates  and  the  Booths 
gave  their  names.  A  marked  uniformity  was 
attained  by  the  interbreeding  of  several  differ- 
ent tribes.  The  Eosys  sprang  from  a  cow  of 
that  name,  bred  by  Mr.  Barker  of  Richmond; 
the  Rubys  were  obtained  from  a  cow  of  Hon. 
C.  Arbuthnot's  breeding;  the  Primroses  came 
from  the  old  Charge  stock;  the  Quickleys  from 
a  cow  called  Valuable,  bought  from  Maj.  Bower, 
and  the  Walnuts  from  a  Booth  foundation. 
After  a  dash  of  Booth — through  the  bulls  Argus 
(759)  and  Swing  (2721) — and  a  cross  from  Rob- 
ertson, of  Ladykirk  through  Caliph  (1774),  the 
process  of  crossing  the  descendants  of  these 
foundation  dams  was  begun ;  among  the  Faws- 
ley-bred  sires  used  in  this  concentration  being 
the  noted  Ruby  bulls  Grey  Friar  (9172)  and 
Little  John  (4232).  A  new  element  came  in 
through  the  Arbuthnot  cow  Sylph  (ancestress 
of  the  celebrated  Charmer  and  Sweetheart 
families),  bought  especially  to  breed  a  bull 
from.  To  a  service  by  Little  John  she  pro- 
duced Fawsley  (6004),  a  sire  that  was  exten- 
sively used.  The  successful  inbreeding  of  these 
strains  was  followed  by  a  well-considered  cross 


OTHER   EMINENT   ENGLISH    BREEDERS.        157 

of  Princess  blood  through  the  noted  Earl  of 
Dublin  (10178),  a  white  bull  bred  by  J.  Ste- 
phenson  of  Wolviston,  tracing  to  Angelina  by 
Phenomenon,  the  mother  of  the  dam  of  Belve- 
dere (1706).  John  Thornton  says:  "  Sir  Charles 
took  a  great  fancy  to  the  Earl  of  Dublin,  but 
the  only  opinion  that  could  be  obtained  from 
him  was  that  'any  bull  was  big  enough  if  he 
were  good  enough.' ' 

At  a  memorable  sale  held  at  Fawsley  in  1856 
the  celebrated  white  cow  Cold  Cream,  by  Earl 
of  Dublin,  was  bought  for  the  Royal  herd  at 
Windsor  at  100  guineas,  a  great  price  for  the 
times.  A  granddaughter  of  this  fine  dairy  cow, 
Lady  Knightley  2d,  was  first-prize  winner  at 
the  Royal  as  a  yearling,  and  was  sold  for  500 
guineas  to  Walcott  &  Campbell  of  New  York 
Mills,  at  whose  sale  she  brought  $3,100  and  her 
two  daughters  $5,000  and  $4,000  respectively. 
Bosquet,  a  bull  whose  name  is  often  met  with 
in  North  Country  pedigrees,  bought  by  Hay  of 
Shethin  at  the  Fawsley  sale  of  1856  for  200 
guineas,  was  of  this  same  branch  (Furbelow)  of 
the  Quickley  tribe.  At  this  same  great  sale 
Mr.  Thorne  of  New  York  bought  four  Rosys  at 
an  average  of  about  $590  each.  The  Knight- 
leys  seemed  to  nick  particularly  well  with 
Bates-bred  sires  in  the  hands  of  certain  leading 
English  breeders,  and  were  for  many  years 
classed  among  the  best  Short-horns  of  their 
time. 


158        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Fawkes  of  Farnley  Hall.—"  The  vale  of  the 
Wharfe  is  adorned  with  elegant  mansions,  and 
the  views  obtained  from  the  neighboring  eleva- 
tions are  at  once  noble  and  inspiring."  So  runs 
a  paragraph  in  an  old  Yorkshire  chronicle.  It 
was  here  that  Whitaker  had  his  cattle,  and 
hard  by  the  little  market  town  of  Otley  was 
established  also  the  fine  old  herd  of  Mr.  F.  H. 
Fawkes  of  Farnley  Hall.  Whitaker's  Norfolk 
(2377),  the  grand  roan  bull  for  which  the  Ohio 
Co.  offered  $2,000  in  vain,  was  the  first  bull 
purchase,  and  in  1834  Verbena  and  Meclora 
were  bought  at  Richard  Booth's  Studley  sale. 
They  were  only  "babies"  at  the  time,  but  Me- 
dora  developed  into  a  noble  cow  and  produced 
nine  calves.  It  seems  that  after  Whitaker  dis- 
posed of  his  herd  in  1833  he  bought  some  three 
dozen  well-bred  Short-horn  cows  for  the  use  of 
the  help  at  the  Burley  Mills.  Mr.  Fawkes  was 
so  favorably  impressed  with  this  useful  set  of 
cows  that  he  arranged  to  have  a  number  of 
them — to  be  chosen  .by  himself — bred  to  Nor- 
folk. He  was  to  pay  ten  guineas  for  each  calf 
at  a  week  old,  provided  it  "did  not  have  a  black 
nose  and  had  no  symptoms  of  unsoundness." 
Some  sixty  head  were  thus  transferred  to  Faws- 
ley,  and  the  first  ten  bull  calves  by  Norfolk  av- 
eraged 100  guineas  each.  One  of  these  was  out 
of  a  half-sister  to  the  cow  Young  Phyllis,  an- 
cestress of  the  American  family  of  that  name, 


OTHER   EMINENT    ENGLISH    BREEDERS.        159 

and  grew  up  to  fame  under  the  title  Sir  Thomas 
Fairfax  (5196),  a  Royal  and  Yorkshire  winner. 
He  was  sold  at  four  years  to  B.  Wilson  of  Bra- 
with  for  250  guineas.  These  Whitaker  cows 
and  others,  mainly  of  Booth,  Buccleuch  and 
Brawith  breeding,  constituted  a  herd  that  sup- 
plied many  prize  bulls  and  heifers  at  the  Eng- 
lish shows,  among  them  being  the  white  Lord 
Marquis  (10459),  by  the  200-guinea  bull  Lauda- 
ble (9282).  The  dam  of  the  Marquis  was  out 
of  Zuleika,  a  daughter  of  Norfolk's,  out  of  the 
Booth-bred  Medora. 

John  Thornton  tells  us  that  the  herd  was 
made  up  largely  of  "  full  roans,"  and  that  it  was 
the  owner's  practice  to  use  light-colored  bulls  on 
dark-colored  cows  as  being  more  productive  of 
.good  colors.  Mr.  Fawkes  took  a  keen  delight  in 
his  cattle,  and  loved  to  entertain  appreciative 
visitors  not  only  with  the  roans  in  his  pastures 
but  among  the  wondrous  "Turners"  that  hung 
in  the  picture  gallery  at  "the  Hall." 

William  Torr. — One  of  the  most  remarkable 
characters  of  his  time  was  Torr  of  Eiby  and 
Aylesby,  Lincolnshire.  A  contemporary  of  John 
and  Richard  Booth  and  Thomas  Bates;  a  man 
of  indomitable  energy  and  extraordinary  re- 
sources, holding  thousands  of  acres  under 
lease,  he  acquired  fame  as  a  successful  tenant 
farmer  second  to  none  in  English  history.  Lei- 
cester sheep  and  Short-horns  were  his  favorite 


160        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

'  rent-payers."  The  latter  he  bred  along  inde- 
pendent lines  for  some  twenty  years,  but  in 
1844  he  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  house 
of  Booth,  beginning  with  two  years'  service 
from  the  white  Lord  Lieutenant-White  Straw- 
berry bull  Leonard  (4210).  Vanguard  (10994), 
by  Buckingham  out  of  Young  Isabella,  came 
for  six  years  and  left  a  grand  set  of  cows,  pos- 
sessing great  scale,  deep  flesh  and  rare  coats. 
He  was  exchanged  for  one  year  for  Crown 
Prince,  and  left  altogether  some  200  calves. 
Baron  Warlaby  (7813) — by  Buckingham — Hope- 
well,  British  Prince,  Fitzclarence,  Royal  Bride- 
groom, Prince  of  Warlaby,  Leonidas,  Monk, 
Lord  Blithe  and  Mountain  Chief  we're  all  hired 
from  Richard  Booth,  and  from  Barnes  of  Ire- 
land came  Dr.  McHale  and  The  Druid.  From, 
his  own  Booth-bred  stock  were  derived  such 
sires  as  Booth  Royal,  Breastplate,  Killerby 
Monk  and  Blinkhoolie. 

Torr's  herd  became  in  its  latter  days  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  in  England,  and  its  disper- 
sion was  marked  by  most  extraordinary  prices. 
As  this  did  not  occur,  however,  until  1875  we 
will  reserve  further  details  for  a  subsequent 
chapter. 

The  long  roll  of  honor.— To  undertake  in- 
dividual comment  upon  the  work  of  all  who 
are  specially  deserving  by  reason  of  their  suc- 
cess in  breeding,  from  the  days  of  the  Collings 


OTHER   EMINENT   ENGLISH   BREEDERS.        161 

down  to  the  great  rise  of  the  Bates  and  Booth 
power,  is  indeed  a  hopeless  task.  The  records 
of  Coates'  Herd  Book  and  of  the  English  sale- 
rings  and  show-yards  abound  in  evidence  of  the 
fact  that  hundreds  of  strong,  sturdy  characters 
in  various  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom  were  en- 
gaged in  the  upbuilding  of  the  breed.  We  can- 
not indeed  begin  to  mention  in  this  connection 
even  the  names  of  all  who  have  earned  the 
gratitude  of  posterity  for  their  intelligent  de- 
votion to  the  work  of  Short-horn  improvement. 
We  have  only  given  place  in  this  chapter  to  the 
foregoing  personal  references  by  way  of  em- 
phasizing the  fact  that  the  breed  did  not  lack 
intelligent  champions  outside  of  the  recognized 
leaders  in  the  work.  Those  named  were  per- 
haps not  more  worthy  than  many  of  their  con- 
temporaries, but  to  particularize  further  would 
burden  our  work  too  heavily  with  foundation 
facts. 

We  would  feign  dwell  here  upon  what  was 
done  by  such  men  as  the  Jobsons,  Charge  of 
Darlington,  Lawson  of  Stapleton,  Cattley  of 
Brandsby,  Col.  Cradock,  R.  Thornton,  Messrs. 
Crofton,  George  Coates,  the  Wrights  of  Cleasby, 
Sir  C.  E.  Tempest,  Champion  of  Blyth,  Unthank 
of  Penrith,  Smith  of  West  Rasen,  A.  L.  and  J- 
C.  Maynard,  Maj.  Bower,  Hon.  J.  Simpson,  Col. 
Trotter,  W.  P.  Paley,  Rev.  H.  Berry,  Lax  of 
Ravensworth,  Maj.  Rudd,  Raine,  B.  Wilson  ot 


11 


162        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Bra  with,  Wilkinson  of  Lenton,  Capt.  Barclay  of 
Ury,  Amos  Cruickshank,  Rennie  of  Phantassie, 
Robertson  of  Lady  kirk,  Grant  Duff  of  Eden,  and 
point  out  the  distinguished  service  rendered  to 
the  breed  in  its  earlier  years  by  such  noblemen  as 
the  Earl  of  Carlisle  of  Castle  Howard,  Yorkshire; 
the  Marquis  of  Exeter,  Stamford;  the  Dukes 
of  Leeds  and  of  Buccleuch,  Earl  Brownlow  and 
other  great  landed  proprietors.  We  are  tempted 
here  also  to  go  into  the  operations  of  Earl  Du- 
cie  of  Tortworth,  Bowly  of  Siddington,  Bruere 
of  Braithwaite,  Peel  of  Knowlmere,  Col.  Towne- 
ley  and  others  who  carried  the  colors  of  the 
reds,  whites  and  roans  to  such  great  heights  at 
a  little  later  period,  but  we  have  now  reached 
the  point  where,  we  must  begin  our  account  of 
the  breed  in  the  New  World,  'in  the  course  of 
which  we  shall  have  occasion  to  revert  not  only 
to  some  of  these  but  to  the  herds  of  Scotland. 

The  visitor  in  Britain  will  find  many  memo- 
rials of  Wellington  and  Nelson.  The  heroes 
of  Waterloo  and  Trafalgar  England  has  indeed 
not  forgotten.  Her  parks  and  public  places 
are  decorated  by  captured  cannon.  Deep  down 
in  their  hearts,  however,  the  English  people 
have  an  equal  pride  in  what  has  been  accom- 
plished in  their  pastures  and  paddocks.  The 
paths  of  peace  have  indeed  yielded  to  them 
"  victories  no  less  renowned  than  those  of  war/' 
The  wealth,  the  brains,  the  persistence  of  the 


OTHER   EMINENT    ENGLISH    BREEDERS.        163 

British  nation  have  joined  with  Nature  in  de- 
veloping an  agriculture  that  has  proved  fruit- 
ful beyond  compare  in  the  production  of  im- 
proved varieties  of  flesh-bearing  animals.  No 
National  memorial  is  needed  to  commemorate 
the  triumphs  of  men  like  those  whose  names 
have  been  enumerated  in  this  and  preceding 
chapters.  They  have  won  their  way  into  the 
memories  and  affectionate  regard  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  world  in  a  manner  at  once  peaceful, 
practical  and  patriotic.  Every  man,  woman  or 
child  who  sets  tooth  in  savory  sirloin  or  rich 
roast  "rib  of  beef"  pays  involuntary  tribute  to 
the  genius  of  those  who  led  the  early  line  of 
progress  in  cattle-breeding  in  the  historic  con- 
fines of  York  and  Durham. 


CHAPTER    VII. 


FIRST  IMPORTATIONS  TO  AMERICA. 

From  the  green  pastures  of  Old  England  to 
the  Western  shores  of  the  stormy  North  At- 
lantic was  indeed  "a  far  cry  "to  those  enter- 
prising pioneers  who  first  conceived  the  idea  of 
transplanting  Short-horns  from  these  ancestral 
herds  to  the  virgin  soil  of  the  United  States. 
Ocean  cables  and  fast  "liners  "  were  not  at  their 
command.  Three  thousand  miles  of  watery 
waste  had  to  be  traversed  by  vessels  sailing  at 
the  mercy  of  JEolus,  and  the  god  of  the  winds 
was  not  always  in  a  propitious  mood.  How- 
ever, this  did  not  operate  as  a  bar  upon  the 
aspirations  of  those  who,  knowing  the  merit 
of  the  newly-established  Short-horn  breed,  de- 
termined to  introduce  the  blood  in  the  seaboard 
States.  Unfortunately  we  have  no  verified  rec- 
ords as  to  earliest  shipments. 

Virginia  in  the  Van. — The  Republic  is  in- 
debted to  the  Old  Dominion  for  the  primal  im- 
portation of  Short-horn  cattle.  No  sooner  had 
the  war  of  the  Revolution  reached  a  trium- 
phant termination  under  the  masterly  guidance 
of  the  great  Virginian  than  the  work  of  pro- 

(164) 


FIRST    IMPORTATIONS    TO    AMERICA.  165 

viding  the  ways  and  means  for  a  more  diversi- 
fied system  of  agriculture  was  taken  up  by  the 
farmers  and  planters  of  that  section.  Some- 
thing more  than  tobacco  was  wanted.  The 
historic  " valley"  was  really  well  adapted  to 
the  requirements  of  live-stock  husbandry.  As 
nearly  as  can  be  ascertained  at  this  late  day  it 
was  in  1783  that  the  first  improved  cattle  were 
purchased  in  England  for  Virginia.  A  Mr.  Mil- 
ler of  that  State,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Gough 
of  Baltimore,  must  be  given  credit  for  the  ini- 
tial shipment.  As  to  the  number  purchased  no 
record  has  been  preserved.  As  to  their  charac- 
ter we  only  know  that  they  represented  two 
distinct  types — one  known  locally  as  the  milk 
breed  and  the  other  as  the  beef  breed. 

Character  of  the  Gough  &  Miller  cattle.— 
The  "milk  breed "  was  described  as  having  short 
horns  and  heavy  and  compact  carcasses,  the 
cows  displaying  marked  dairy  propensities.  In 
color  they  were  red,  red-and-white  and  roan — 
proof  positive  that  they  were  of  Short-horn 
origin.  The  stock  of  the  "beef  breed"  were 
longer-horned  and  "rangier"  in  conformation. 
They  lacked  the  smooth,  even  lines  of  the  so- 
called  "milk  breed"  and  were  slower  in  com- 
ing to  maturity.  They  attained  large  size  and 
made  heavy  carcasses  of  beef  when  fully  grown 
and  finished.  It  seems  equally  certain,  there- 
fore, that  they  represented  one  of  the  older 


166        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

types  of  the  breed,  probably  the  sort  bred  in 
the  Holderness  district  of  Yorkshire.  This  im- 
portation, it  will  be  noted,  antedates  the  Col- 
ling improvement.  About  two  years  later,  or 
somewhere  between  1790  and  1795,  one  or  both 
of  these  same  pioneer  importers  made  a  further 
shipment  of  cattle  of  similar  types  from  Eng- 
land. That  good  use  was  made  of  this  blood 
in  the  valley  of  the  South  branch  of  the  Poto- 
mac and  adjacent  territory  cannot  be  doubted. 
Then,  as  now,  the  "first  families"  of  the  Do- 
minion were  proud  of  their  country  estates, 
possessing  the  real  English  fondness  for  rural 
pursuits  and  the  finer  types  of  domestic  ani- 
mals. 

Kentucky  and  the  Patton  stock. — The  mak- 
ing of  the  Ohio  Valley  States  soon  followed. 
Over  the  wall  of  the  Alleghenies,  lured  by  the 
golden  promise  of  the  fair  and  fruitful  lands 
beyond  the  Blue  Kidge,  the  Virginians  entered 
into  the  priceless  heritage  of  the  blue-grass 
regions  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  The  former 
grazing-grounds  of  the  bison  were  dedicated  to 
lowing  herds,  showing  in  many  instances  traces 
of  the  magic  touch  of  roan.  In  the  first  intro- 
duction of  the  Gough  &  Miller  blood  into 
Central  Kentucky  we  find,  therefore,  the  germ 
of  the  gigantic  American  cattle  trade  of  .the 
present  day.  The  conjunction  of  Short-horn 
blood  with  the  rich  grains  and  grasses  of  the 


FIRST    IMPORTATIONS    TO    AMERICA.  167 

Ohio  Valley  called  into  being  an  industry  that 
has  not  yet  received  its  full  credit  in  connec- 
tion with  "  the  winning  of  the  West."  Lewis 
F.  Allen  tells  the  story  of  how  the  Pattons  laid 
the  foundation  for  nearly  all  that  follows  in 
this  volume  relating  to  the  .extension  of  Short- 
horn blood  throughout  the  great  agricultural 
States  in  the  following  language: 

"Two  years  after  the  first  importation,  in  the  year  1785,  two  sons 
and  a  son-in-law  (Mr.  Gay)  of  Mr.  Matthew  Patton,  then  a  resi- 
dent of  Virginia,  took  into  Clark  Co.,  Ky.,  one  of  its  fine  blue- 
grass  localities,  a  young  bull  and  several  heifers,  half  blooded  (and 
they  could  only  have  been  calves  or  less  than  yearlings) ,  of  their 
then-called  '  English '  cattle.  These  animals  were  said  to  have 
been  purchased  of  Mr.  Gough.  It  is  not  necessary  to  further  note 
these  animals,  as  they  were  but  grades,  only  to  show  the  spirit  of 
enterprise  among  some  of  the  early  cattle-breeders  of  the  State 
in  obtaining  better  stock  than  Kentucky  then  afforded  for  their 
improvement. 

"In  1790  the  elder  Mr.  Patton  removed  from  Virginia  to  Clark 
County,  in  Kentucky,  and  took  with  him  a  bull  and  cow  directly 
descended  from  the  Gough  &  Miller  importation  of  the  '  milk ' 
breed,  also  some  half-blooded  cows  of  both  the  'milk'  and  'beef 
breeds.  The  'beef  breed  were  'long-haired,  large,  coarse, 
slowly  coming  to  maturity  and  fattening  badly  until  fully  grown, 
yet  tolerable  milkers.'  The  'milk'  breed  (of  which  the  bull 
and  cow  first  named  were  of  pure  descent)  were  short-horned, 
coming  early  to  maturity  and  fattening  kindly.  Their  milking 
qualities  were  extraordinary.  It  was  not  at  all  uncommon  for 
cows  of  this  breed  to  give  thirty-two  quarts  of  milk  daily.  The 
Short-horn  bull,  red  in  color,  with  white  face,  rather  heavy  horns 
yet  smooth  and  round  in  form,  was  called  Mars.  He  is  recorded 
by  number  1850,  American  Herd  Book.  The  cow  was  called  Venus, 
white  in  color,  with  red  ears,  small  short  horns  turning  down.  She 
bred  two  bull  calves  to  Mars  and  soon  afterward  died.  Mars  got 
many  calves  on  the  native  cows  in  Kentucky,  which  were  said  by 
the  old  breeders  to  be  both  excellent  milkers  and  good  fattening 
animals.  Mars  remained  with  Mr.  Patton  until  the  death  of  the 
latter,  in  1803,  when  the  bull  was  sold  to  a  Mr.  Peeples,  in  Mont- 
gomery Co.,  Ky.,  in  whose  possession  he  died  in  1806.  Of  the  two 


168        A   HISTORY   OP    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

bulls  descended  from  Mars  and  Venus  one  was  taken  to  Jessamine 
Co.,  Ky.,  the  other  to  Ohio,  probably  the  Scioto  Valley;  but  as  all 
this  breed  or  breeds,  in  their  various  intermixtures  after  their 
introduction  in  Kentucky,  were  called  'Patton  stock,'  they  became 
commingled,  the  shorter-horned  and  refined  ones  with  the  longer- 
horned  and  coarser  ones,  and  were,  for  many  years  afterward, 
universally  known  by  i/hat  name  only. 

"In  the  year  1803  Mr.  Daniel  Harrison,  James  Patton  and 
James  Gay,  of  Clark  Co.,  Ky.,  bought  of  Mr.  Miller,  the  importer, 
living  in  Virginia,  a  two-year-old  bull,  descended  from  a  bull  and 
cow  of  his  importation.  This  bull  was  called  Pluto  (825  A.  H.  B.) 
and  said  to  be  of  the  '  milk '  breed.  He  is  described  as  '  dark-roan 
or  red  in  CDlor,  large  in  size,  with  small  head  and  neck,  light, 
short  horns,  small-boned  and  heavily  fleshed.'  He  was  bred 
mostly  to  '  Patton'  cows  and  produced  some  fine  milkers.  He  was 
taken  to  Ohio  about  the  year  1812  and  died  soon  afterward. 

"  In  the  year  1810  Capt.  William  Smith  of  Fayette  Co.,  Ky.,  pur- 
chased of  the  before-mentioned  Mr.  Miller  of  Virginia  and  brought 
to  Kentucky  a  bull  called  Buzzard  304  (3254).  He  was  coarser, 
larger,  and  taller  than  Pluto,  but  not  so  heavy.  He  was  bred  in 
different  herds  many  years,  and  also  used  by  the  Society  of  Shak- 
ers at  Pleasant  Hill,  Mercer  Co.,  Ky.,  in  1821  and  for  some  years 
afterward. 

"In  the  year  1811  the  bull  Shaker  (2193  A.  H.  B.)  was  bought 
of  M  r.  Miller  aforesaid,  and  used  some  years  both  by  the  Pleasant 
Hill,  Ky.,  and  Union  Village,  O.,  Societies  of  Shakers.  They 
afterward  sold  him  to  Messrs.  Welton  and  Hutchcraft  of  Ken- 
tucky. He  was  of  the  '  milk,'  or  Short-horn  breed.  This  account 
we  have  from  Messrs.  Micajah  Burnett  of  the  Pleasant  Hill  and 
Peter  Boyd  of  the  Union  Village  Societies,  and  although  they  each 
differ  in  some  non-essential  items  the  identity  of  the  bull  is  fully 
recognized.  These  four  bulls,  viz.,  Mars,  Pluto,  Buzzard  and 
Shaker,  appear  to  have  been  purely  bred  from  the  Gough  &  Mil- 
ler importations  previous  to  the  year  1810.  From  these  bulls,  but 
not  on  equally  pure-bred  cows  of  those  importations,  descended  many 
animals  whose  pedigrees  have  been  recognized  and  recorded  as 
Short-horns  in  the  earlier  volumes  of  the  English  Herd  Book,  and 
of  consequence  since  in  the  American  Herd  Book,  as  the  latter  is 
founded  on  the  English  publication  as  standard  authority  in  all 
matters  of  Short-horn  genealogy. 

"During  the  years  above  mentioned  several  other  bulls  from 
the  Gough  &  Miller  Virginia  stock  were  brought  into  Kentucky 
and  Ohio — some  with  names  and  some  without  names  other  than 
those  of  their  owners— as  'Inskip's  Bull,'  'Peeples'  Bull1  (Mars, 


FIRST   IMPORTATIONS    TO    AMERICA.  169 

probably,),  *  Witherspoon's  Bull,'  '  Bluff,'  and  others.  Some  pedi- 
grees in  the  herd  books  run  back  into  several  of  those  bulls, 
which,  as  many  pure-bred  crosses  have  since  been  made  upon 
their  descendants  and  been  recorded  in  the  English  Herd  Book, 
must  be  classed  in  the  family  of  Short-horns. 

"From  the  above  accounts  it  is  understood  where  and  how  the 
*  Patton  stock '  originated.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  some  of 
the  original  importations  of  Gough  &  Miller  were  well-bred  cat- 
tle of  the  Short-horn  or  Teeswater  breed  (which  were  identical  in 
original  blood),  but  without  pedigrees;  also  that  others  of  them 
may  have  been  of  the  Holderness  variety— coarser  and  less  im- 
proved—of the  same  race.  From  the  various  accounts  which  we 
have  gathered  from  different  quarters  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky 
some  of  them  were  rough  animals,  tardy  in  arriving  at  maturity; 
others  fine  both  in  figure  and  quality,  and  most  of  the  cows  de- 
scended from  them  proved  excellent  milkers.  Their  colors  were 
more  or  less  red,  white  and  roan,  which  are  true  Short-horn 
colors. 

"These  accounts  are  about  as  accurate  and  as  much  to  the 
point  as  the  English  traditions  relating  to  the  ancient  Short- 
horns or  Teeswaters  in  their  native  land,  and  may  be  received  as 
a  fair  basis  on  which  to  found  the  genealogy  of  all  the  pedigrees 
which  trace  back  into  the  '  Patton  '  blood  and  are  found  recorded 
in  both  the  English  and  American  Herd  Books." 

An  early  New  York  importation.— Tradi- 
tion is  authority  for  the  statement  that  about 
the  year  1791  a  Mr.  Heaton,  who  had  emigrated 
from  England  to  New  York  in  1775  and  followed 
for  some  years  the  occupation  of  a  butcher, 
returned  to  England  and  brought  back  with 
him  several  Short-horn  cattle  from  the  herd  of 
George  Culley  of  Northumberland.  What  be- 
came of  these  cattle  neither  tradition  nor  writ- 
ten history  of  the  day  records.  In  1796  it  is 
further  stated  that  Mr.  Heaton  returned  to 
England  and  brought  out  a  bull  and  cow  which 
he  had  bought  from  one  of  the  brothers  Colling 


170        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

and  took  them  to  his  farm  in  Westchester  Co  , 
N.  Y.,  where  he  then  resided.  It  is  surmised 
that  the  Short-horns  which  he  had  previously 
imported  had  also  been  taken  to  that  place,  but 
as  to  this  there  is  no  verified  account.  What 
finally  became  of  the  Heaton  cattle  and  their 
descendants  nothing  definite  is  known,  except 
that  some  superior  cattle  were  for  many  years 
grown  in  Westchester  Co.,N.  Y.,  after  the  pres- 
ent century  came  in,  but  no  pedigrees  of  them 
have  been  traced  except  in  one  or  two  instances 
through  "  Brisbane's  bull,"  which  was  purchased 
of  Mr.  Heaton  by  the  late  Mr.  James  Brisbane 
of  Batavia,  N.  Y.,  in  the  early  years  of  this  cen- 
tury. The  bull  left  much  valuable  stock  in  the 
vicinity  of  Batavia  and  was  supposed  to  be  a 
pure-bred  Short-horn.  Of  the  Heaton  stock 
retained  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  nothing 
further  is  known.  It  is  altogether  probable 
that  the  people  of  that  vicinity,  knowing  little 
of  any  breed  in  those  days,  let  the  stock  "  run 
out,"  and  that  the  blood  was  finally  lost  in  the 
common  herds  of  the  country.* 

The  Cox  importation.— While  the  Virginians 
were  settling  upon  the  virgin  fields  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  helping  to  occupy  the  rich  coun- 
try to  the  north  of  the  broad  stream  of  the 
Ohio,  enterprising  men  were  seeking  to  intro- 

»  In  this  connection  see  also  the  story  of  the  importation  and  return  of 
"The  American  Cow,"  page  46, 


FIRST   IMPORTATIONS    TO    AMERICA.  171 

cluce  advanced  ideas  in  agriculture  throughout 
the  territory  once  dominated  by  the  Iroquois. 
" Squaw-farming"  had  not  caused  the  lands  of 
the  Empire  State  to  blossom  as  the  rose,  and 
the  white  pioneers  had  made  little  progress  in 
the  line  of  live-stock  improvement. 

Immediately  after  the  close  of  the  war  of 
1812  with  the  mother  country  Mr.  Cox,  an  Eng- 
lishman, brought  into  Rensselaer  County,  near 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  a  Short-horn  bull  and  two  cows 
that  were  placed  upon  the  farm  of  Mr.  Cadwal- 
lad  er  Golden.  This  was  before  Coates  and  Whit- 
aker  had  brought  the  English  Herd  Book  even 
to  its  manuscript  stage.  No  pedigrees  came 
with  the  cattle.  From  this  trio  a  numerous 
progeny  resulted,  known  in  Short-horn  par- 
lance as  "Cox  Importation  Cattle."  The  de- 
descendants  of  the  Cox  cows  were  subsequently 
crossed  by  the  bulls  Comet  (or  Cornet)  2649 
(158)  and  Nelson  1914,  imported  in  June,  1823, 
by  Messrs.  Cox  &  Wayne.  Some  of  the  cows 
thus  descended  passed  into  the  possession  of  a 
Mr.  Matthew  Bullock  of  Albany  County,  and 
their  progeny  acquired  local  reputation  under 
the  name  of  "Bullock  stock."  They  were  de- 
scribed as  "large,  robust  animals,  good,  al- 
though not  remarkably  fine  in  quality,  but  of 
true  Short-horn  type."  Comet,  or  Cornet,  was 
a  red-and-white  (spotted)  bull,  bred  by  Sir  H.  C. 
Ibbetson  of  Denton  Park,.0tley,  and  was  got 


172        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

by  Meteor  (432) — of  the  elder  Booth's  .breeding 
—a  son  of  Albion  (14)  out  of  a  cow  by  C.  Col- 
ling's  Windsor  (698).  Nelson  was  a  red-and- 
white  bull  by  Nelson  (449),  a  roan  bred  by 
Simpson  of  Babworth  and  got  by  Colling's 
Ketton  (346),  he  by  the  $5,000  Comet,  going 
back  on  the  dam's  side  .to  Charles  Colling's 
herd. 

The  first  pedigreed  bulls.— According  to 
Allen  the  first  pedigreed  Short-horn  bulls  to 
set  hoof  on  American  soil  were  Marquis  (408) 
and  Moscow  (9413),  imported  into  the  Genesee 
Valley  of  New  York,  in  1817,  by  Samuel  M. 
Hopkins  of  Moscow.  Mr.  Warfield  lists  this 
importation  as  " supposed."  The  very  cream 
of  the  Charles  Colling  blood  is  represented  in 
the  breeding  of  Marquis  (from  Mr.  Jonas  Whit- 
aker's),  as  he  had  for  dam  the  far-famed  Mag- 
dalena,  by  Comet,  and  his  sire  was  Wellington 
(679),  intensely  bred  in  the  blood  of  Favorite 
(252)  on  the  Old  Cherry  foundation.  Moscow 
(9413)  was  likewise  deep  in  the  richest  Short- 
horn blood  of  his  time.  He  was  a  roan  of  Sir 
Henry  Vane  Tempest's  breeding,  of  the  Prin- 
cess blood,  sired  by  Wynyard  (703)  out  of  El- 
vira by  Phenomenon  (491);  second  dam  Prin- 
cess by  Favorite  (252).  Along  with  this  well- 
bred  pair  of  bulls  Allen  says  there  came  a  cow 
called  Princess  that  was  said  to  be  descended 
from  a  Robert  Colling  ancestry.  It  is  said  that 


FIRST    IMPORTATIONS   TO    AMERICA.  173 

descendants  of  these  cattle,  crossed  by  bulls 
from  Col.  Powells  herd,  presently  to  be  men- 
tioned, were  purchased  by  the  Holland  Land 
Co.  for  the  benefit  of  the  settlers  upon  that 
corporation's  lands  near  Batavia,  in  Western 
New  York,  and  were  carefully  bred  for  many 
years. 

The"Seventeens." — The  first  direct  impor- 
tation from  England  into  the  territory  west  of 
the  Alleghenies  was  made  by  Col.  Lewis  San- 
ders of  Kentucky,  "a  gentleman  of  character 
and  position,"  who  was  at  this  time  actively 
engaged  in  manufacturing,  merchandising  and 
farming.  He  resided  latterly  in  Gallatin  Coun- 
ty not  far  from  where  the  Kentucky  River 
flows  into  the  Ohio,  a  short  distance  below  Cin- 
cinnati. The  following  statement  as  to  the 
cattle  purchased  on  his  order  in  1817  is  in  Col. 
Sanders'  own  language : 

"I  was  induced  to  send  the  order  for  the  cattle  (in  the  fall  of 
1816)  by  seeing  an  account  of  Charles  Colling's  great  sale  in  1810. 
At  this  sale  enormous  prices  were  paid— 1,000  guineas  for  the  bull 
Comet.  This  induced  me  to  think  there  was  a  value  unknown  to 
us  in  these  cattle,  and  as  I  then  had  the  control  of  mean  deter- 
mined to  procure  some  of  this  breed.  For  some  years  previous  1 
was  in  the  regular  receipt  of  English  publications  on  agricultural 
improvements  and  improvements  in  the  various  descriptions  of 
stock.  From  the  reported  surveys  of  counties  I  was  pretty  well 
posted  as  to  the  localities  of  the  most  esteemed  breeds  of  cattle 
My  mind  was  made  up,  fixing  on  the  Short-horns  as  most  suitable 
for  us.  I  had  frequent  conversations  on  this  matter  with  my 
friend  and  neighbor  Capt.  William  Smith,  then  an  eminent  breeder 
of  cattle.  He  was  thoroughly  impressed  in  favor  of  the  old  Long- 
horn  breed.  To  gratify  him  and  to  please  some  old  South  Branch 
feeders  1  ordered  a  pair  of  Long-horns,  and  was  more  willing  to  do 


174         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

so  from  the  fact  that  this  was  the  breed  selected  by  the  distin- 
guished Mr,  Bakewell  for  his  experimental,  yet  most  successful 
improvements.  I  forwarded  to  the  house  of  Buchanan,  Smith  & 
Co.  of  Liverpool  11,500  to  make  the  purchase,  expecting  to  get 
three  pair  only,  with  instructions  to  procure  a  competent  judge 
and  suitable  agent  to  go  into  the  cattle  district  and  make  the  se- 
lection, the  animals  not  to  be  over  two  years  old,  and  no  restric- 
tion as  to  price.  At  the  time  the  Holderness  breed  was  in  highest 
repute  for  milkers.  I  directed  that  the  agent  should  be  sent  to 
Yorkshire  to  procure  a  pair  of  that  breed,  then  to  the  river  Tees, 
in  Durham  County,  for  a  pair  of  Short-horn  Durhams,  then  to  the 
County  of  Westmoreland  for  a  pair  of  the  Long-horns,  etc. 

"The  agent  sent  from  Liverpool,  J.  C.  Etches,  a  celebrated 
butcher  of  that  place,  went  as  directed  and  purchased  six  pair  in- 
stead of  three.  It  being  soon  after  the  war  all  kinds  of  produce 
had  much  cheapened  and  the  stock  sold  lower  than  was  expected. 

"After  the  cattle  were  shipped  from  Liverpool  on  the  vessel 
Mohawk,  bound  to  Baltimore,  Md.,  where  the  cattle  afterward 
landed,  I  sold  one-third  interest  in  them  to  Capt.  William  Smith 
and  another  third  to  Dr.  Tegarden  of  Kentucky." 

Of  the  twelve  animals  bought,  eight  (four 
bulls  and  four  heifers)  were  Short-horns  and 
four  (two  bulls  and  two  heifers)  were  Long- 
horns  The  importation  was  made  five  years 
prior  to  the  publication  of  Vol.  I  of  the  Eng- 
lish Herd  Book,  at  a  time  when  comparatively 
few  of  the  old-country  breeders  gave  that  strict 
attention  to  their  private  records  that  after- 
ward became  imperative.  The  only  informa- 
tion furnished  in  the  invoice  as  to  the  Short- 
horns is  indicated  below: 

'"No.  1.  Bull  from  Mr.  Clement  Winston,  on  the  river  Tees, 
got  by  Mr.  Constable's  bull,  brother  to  Comet,'  afterward  (155) 
E  H.  B.  The  name  of  this  bull  was  San  Martin,  afterward 
(2599)  in  E.  H.  B. 

" '  No.  2.  Bull,  Holderness  breed,  from  Mr.  Soott,  out  of  a  cow 
which  gave  thirty-four  quarts  of  milk  per  day.'  The  name  of  this 
bull  was  Tecumseh,  afterward  (5409)  E.  H.  B. 

"'No.  3.     Bull  from  Mr.  Reed,  Westholme,  of  his  own  old 


FIRST   IMPORTATIONS   TO   AMERICA.  175 


breed.'  This  bull  is  probably  the  one  called  Comet,  afterward 
1382  A.  H.  B.  Said  to  have  been  got  by  either  Comet  (155)  or  his 
brother  North  Star  (458)  E.  H.  B. 

"'No.  4.  Bull,  Holderness  breed,  from  Mr.  Humphreys,  got 
by  Mr.  Mason's  bull  of  Islington.'  No  herd-book  record  appears 
to  have  since  been  made  of  this  bull,  and  we  know  not  what  be- 
came of  him.  Mr.  Clay  states  that  one  of  the  bulls  4  was  sokfto 
Capt.  Fowler,  who  afterward  sold  him  to  Gen.  Fletcher,  and  was 
taken  to  Bath  Co.,  Ky.,  where  he  died.' 

u  Of  the  females  the  invoice  states  that 

"'No.  7  was  a  heifer  from  Mr.  Wilson,  Staindrop,  Durham 
breed.' 

" '  Nos.  8,  9,  10  were  heifers  from  Mr.  Shipman,  on  the  river 
Tees,  of  his  own  breed.' 

^' '  In  the  division  of  the  Short-horns  above  named  Col.  Sanders 
became  owner  of  the  bulls  San  Martin  and  Tecumseh.'  Col.  San- 
ders states  that  Comet  became  the  property  of  Dr.  Tegarden. 

"  '  Of  the  Shipman  heifers  No.  7  became  the  property  of  Capt. 
Smith  and  was  called  the  "  Durham  Cow." ' 

"  '  Of  the  three  remaining  two  were  retained  by  Col,  Sanders, 
one  of  which  was  called  "Mrs.  Motte"  and  the  other  named  the 
"Tees water  Cow.'" 

"The  fourth  heifer  died  in  Maryland,  never  having  reached 
Kentucky." 

The  descendants  of  the  three  heifers  Mrs. 
Motte,  the  Durham  Cow  and  the  Teeswater 
Cow  are  to  this  day  known  as  "The  Seven- 
teens,"  so  called  from  the  date  of  the  original 
importation.  Mrs.  Motte*  produced  the  four  red 

*  In  view  of  the  large  number  of  descendants  of  Mrs.  Motte  throughout 
the  country  the  following  excerpt  from  a  letter  written  to  the  author  by  Mr. 
William  Warfield  under  date  of  Feb  21, 1899,  may  be  of  interest:  "Upon 
the  occasion  of  Col.  Sanders'  last  visit  to  my  father  in  the  fifties  I  heard  him 
state  the  facts  as  to  the  naming  of  Mrs.  Motte.  At  Charleston,  S.  C.,  during 
the  Revolutionary  War,  lived  Maj.  Motte  of  the  United  States  army  and  his 
family.  Mrs,  Motte  being  a  very  great  patriot  was  much  concerned  in  the 
destruction  of  a  certain  fort  which  interfered  very  much  with  the  reduction 
of  the  city.  She  learned  that  the  destruction  of  a  very  fine  residence  which 
was  her  own  property — and  which  was  already  in  the  possession  of  the 
enemy— would  remove  the  difficulty  of  reducing  this  fort.  She'  presented 
the  besiegers  with  a  quiver  of  African  arrows  to  be  used  for  that  purpose. 
Skewers  armed  with  combustible  materials  were  also  used  with  more 
effect."  In  commemoration  of  this  patriotic  sacrifice  Col.  Sanders  gave  the 
name  of  Mrs  Motte  to  his  imported  cow. 


176        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

heifers  Lady  Munday,  Miss  Motte  and  Sylvia 
to  San  Martin,  and  Lady  Alice  by  Tecumseh, 
besides  five  bulls.  The  Durham  Cow  was  also 
prolific,  dropping  eleven  calves — five  heifers 
and  six  bulls — her  last  four  being  sired  by  her 
own  son  Napoleon  1899,  by  San  Martin.  The 
Teeswater  Cow  gave  birth  to  four  heifers  and 
two  bulls.  The  leading  Kentucky  and  Ohio 
farmers  of  that  period  availed  themselves 
largely  of  this  opportunity  for  improving  their 
herds,  among  those  who  purchased  progeny 
from  the  three  Sanders  cows  being  Gen.  Gar- 
rard,  Dr.  S.  D.  Martin,  Maj.  Gano,  Dr.  Warfield, 
Judge  Haggin,  Walter  Dun,  T.  P.  Dudley  and 
the  Ohio  Shakers.  Mrs. '  Motte's  daughters 
Lady  Kate,  Lady  Munday  and  Sylvia  inherited 
the  fecundity  of  their  dam,  producing  in  the 
aggregate  thirty  calves,  more  than  one-half  of 
them  through  Lady  Munday  and  Sylvia,  the 
property  of  Gen.  Garrard.  The  Durham  Cow's 
daughter  Lady  Durham  left  five  heifers  and 
three  bulls,  two  of  the  former  going  into  the 
hands  of  Benjamin  Warfield.  It  thus  appears 
that  the  importation  of  1817  became  an  im- 
portant element  in  the  breeding  operations  of 
those  enterprising  men  who  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  subsequent  popularity  of  the  breed 
in  the  States  bordering  upon  the  Ohio  River; 
and  the  cattle  derived  from  that  source  were 


FIEST   IMPORTATIONS   TO   AMERICA.  177 

for  a  long  series  of  years  among  the  very  best 
Short-horns  known  in  the  United  States. 

Notwithstanding  the  marked  excellence  of 
the  so-called  "Seventeens"  there  sprang  up, 
after  the  era  of  herd  books  and  "fashion"  in 
blood  lines  asserted  powerful  influence  upon 
the  breed,  a  prejudice  against  them  which  prac- 
tical men  were  unfortunately  unable  to  wholly 
overcome.  Parties  who  were  breeding  from  cat- 
tle drawn  from  the  later  and  fully-pedigreed 
importations  began  casting  aspersions  upon 
the  "  purity  "  of  the  blood  of  the  Sanders  stock 
because  the  foundation  dams  had  no  extended 
pedigrees.  In  regard  to  this  much  nonsense 
has  been  written.  For  instance,  the  "cock- 
and-bull"  story  of  the  late  Ambrose  Stevens, 
as  published  in  Vol.  II  of  the  American  Short- 
horn Herd  Book  and  repeated  in  Allen's  "His- 
tory of  the  Short-horns"  (page  166),  fitting 
Mrs.  Motte  out  with  a  long  pedigree  running 
back  to  Lady  Maynard,  alleged  to  have  been  sup- 
plied by  Thos.  Bates.  This  had  no  basis  what- 
ever in  fact.  The  simple  truth  is  that  the  cat- 
tle bought  by  the  butcher,  Mr.  Etches,  were 
doubtless  good  ones  individually,  although  not 
bred  by  men  who  had  preserved  records  of  their 
breeding  or  acquired  reputations.  The  animals 
clearly  belonged  to  the  same  class  .of  market 
stock  from  whence  Thomas  Booth  drew  the  an- 
cestral dams  of  a  number  of  those  families 


178        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

that  afterward  acquired  international  fame  at 
Killerby  and  Warlaby,  as  detailed  in  preceding 
chapters.  In  the  hands  of  such  men  as  Gar- 
rard,  Clay,  Warfield,  Bedford,  the  Renicks, 
Trimble,  Harrold  and  other  breeders  of  sound 
judgment  a  class  of  cattle  sprang  from  this 
foundation  that  would  have  compared  favora- 
bly with  the  best  results  attained  by  their 
English  contemporaries,  the  Messrs.  Booth  and 
others,  whose  cattle  —  similarly  descended  - 
became  "  fashionable."  In  vain  was  this  fact 
pointed  out  by  thoughtful  and  disinterested 
men.  Vain  were  all  the  winnings  of  the  de- 
scendants of  the  importation  of  1817  at  the 
great  shows  of  the  West.  The  fiat  of  fashion 
went  out  against  them  in  the  later  years,  and 
whole  herds  of  valuable  cattle  carrying  but  a 
mere  drop  of  the  original  "Seventeen"  blood 
were  practically  lost  to  the  braed  because  of 
the  unreasoning  prejudice  created  against 
them.* 

The  imported  Long-horns  were  sold  by  Col. 
Sanders  to  Capt.  Smith  and  Dr.  Tegarden,  in 
whose  hands  they  did  not  prove  popular.  Some 

*The  late  Judge  T.  C.  Jones  of  Delaware,  O.,  one  of  the  closest  students 
of  American  Short-horn  breeding',  orica  said:  "We  have  a  great  many 
Short-horns  of  high,  and  even  fashionable  rank,  the  origin  of  whose  lineage 
is  quite  as  obscure  as  that  of  the  Short-horns  of  Col.  Sanders— at  a  period 
much  less  remote  than  the  date  of  that  importation.  *  *  *  A  large  class 
of  valuable  cattle,  with  well-established  characteristics,  has  been  sacri- 
ficed. Following  the  whims  and  fancies  of  speculators  in  pedigrees,  in 
some  instances,  thick-fleshed  and  quick-feeding  cattle  of  this  and  other  un- 
fashionable strains  of  blood  have  boen  discarded  to  make  way  for  light- 
'fleshed  and  unthrifty  animals  of  the  fancy  sorts." 


FIRST   IMPORTATIONS   TO   AMERICA.  179 

experimental  crosses  between  cattle  carrying 
Short-horn  blood  and  the  Long-horns  were 
made  in  Kentucky,  Virginia  and  Ohio,*  but  the 
judgment  of  the  best  breeders  of  the  day  was 
not  favorable  and  the  Long-horns  presently  dis- 
appeared. 

In  1818  Mr.  James  Prentice  of  Lexington, 
Ky.,  imported  the  two  bulls  Prince  Regent  877 
and  John  Bull  598J,  both  certified  to  be  of  pure 
Short-horn  blood  but  not  supplied  with  pedi- 
grees. John  Bull  was  described  as  a  deep  red, 
of  fine  size  and  good  form,  with  small  down- 
curving  horns.  Prince  Regent  was  "pied," 
white  with  some  red  spots.  As  indicating  the 
enterprise  of  the  Kentucky  breeders  of  that 
clay  in  the  work  of  improving  their  cattle  it 
may  be  stated  that  these  bulls  were  purchased 
by  Nathaniel  Hart  of  Woodford  County  and 


*  George  Reniek  of  Ohio  was  among1  those  who  tried  the  cross  and  dis- 
carded the  Long-horn  blood.  Writing  upon  this  subject  Mr.  Brutus  J.  Clay 
of  Bourbon  Co.,  Ky.,  said:  "We  recollect  in  1821,  when  just  verging  into 
manhood,  taking  a  horseback  journey  from  Columbus  to  Circleville,  O.,  in 
the  vicinity  of  which  latter  town  the  Reniek  brothers  owned  large  landed 
estates.  We  saw  a  herd  of  a  dozen  or  more  long-horned  cattle  grazing  in  a 
field  by  the  side  of  the  road.  Their  singular  appearance,  grazing  on  the 
rich  blue  grass  or  lying  under  the  shade  of  the  majestic  trees,  attracted  our 
attention.  We  rode  up  to  the  fence,  hitched  our  horse  and  went  into  the 
field  to  view  them.  They  had  every  appearance  of  being  either  pure-bred 
or  high  grades  of  the  Long-horn  breed,  with  long,  drooping  horns  pushing 
forward  beyond  their  noses  or  falling  below  their  jaws,  light  brindle  in 
color,  with  white  stripes  along  their  backs,  as  we  now  see  their  portraits 
in  the  books.  They  were  long-bodied,  a  little  swayed  in  the  back,  not  very 
compact  in  shape,  but  withal  imposing  animals  to  the  eye.  We  made  no  in- 
quiries about  them  at  the  time,  as  we  knew  little  of  breeds  of  cattle.  Thirty 
years  afterward,  being  again  at  Circleville,  and  having  a  better  knowledge 
of  breeds,  on  inquiry  for  cattle  of  that  character  we  could  find  no  trace  nor 
even  a  recollection  of  them  among  the  older  farmers  of  the  vicinity." 


180        A  HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

John  Hart  of  Fayette  County  for  $1,500,  and 
they  are  said  to  have  left  good  stock.  It  thus 
appears  that  the  foundation  of  the  Short-horn 
breeding  interest  in  Kentucky  and  Ohio  was 
laid  mainly  in  the  Gough  &  Miller  (Patton)  and 
the  Sanders  bloods,  which  were  more  or  less 
intermingled  for  a  long  series  of  years. 

Massachusetts  importations.  —  In  Novem- 
ber, 1817,  Samuel  Williams  of  Massachusetts,  a 
merchant,  at  that  time  residing  in  London, 
purchased  of  Mr.  Wetherell  and  sent  out  to  his 
brother  Stephen  Williams  of  Northboro,  Mass., 
the  bull  Young  Denton  (963).  He  was  a  roan, 
sixteen  months  old  at  the  time  of  importation, 
and  was  used  in  Massachusetts  for  about  ten 
years,  after  which  he  was  taken  to  the  State  of 
Maine,  where  he  died  in  1830.  He  was  consid- 
ered a  very  choice  specimen  of  the  breed.  In 
1818  Mr.  Cornelius  Coolidge  of  Boston  imported 
the  bull  Coelebs  349  and  the  cow  Flora,  both 
bred  by  Mason  of  Chilton  and  both  sired  by 
sons  of  Comet  (155).  Mr.  Williams  sent  out  in 
1822  the  roan  yearling  heifer  Arabella,  by  North 
Star  (460)  out  of  Aurora  by  Comet  (155),  which 
was  also  of  Mr.  WetherelPs  breeding.  Her  de- 
scendants, like  nearly  all  other  Short-horns 
tracing  to  the  earlier  importations  into  New 
York  and  New  England,  were  distinguished  for 
their  excellent  dairy  qualities.  The  Arabellas 
were  at  one  time  a  large  and  valuable  family. 


FIRST   IMPORTATIONS   TO   AMERICA.  181 

During  the  same  year  several  other  cows  were 
imported  into  Massachusetts  by  Messrs.  Lee, 
Orr,  Monson,  and  perhaps  others,  most  of  them 
being  purchased  from  the  Wetherell  herd. 
Among  these  were  Tuberose,  by  North  Star 
(460),  and  Harriet,  by  Denton  (198),  a  son  of 
Comet.  The  latter  was  described  as  a  very 
fine  cow,  nearly  white  in  color.  In  1823  and 
1824  Admiral  Sir  Isaac  Coffin  of  the  British 
Navy,  who  was  born  in  the  State  of  Massachu- 
setts, sent  out  to  the  Massachusetts  Agricul- 
tural Society  the  roan  bull  Admiral  (1608)  and 
the  red-and-white  cow  Annabella,  by  Major 
(398),  also  from  the  Wetherell  herd.  A  numer- 
ous progeny  claim  descent  from  these  animals. 
In  another  shipment  he  sent  the  white  cow 
Blanche,  by  a  son  of  Comet ;  Snowdrop,  by 
Fitz  Favorite  (1042),  and  the  heifer  Emma,  by 
Wellington  (683). 

Reference  is  made  in  the  American  Herd 
Book  to  a  bull  called  Fortunatus,  or  Holder- 
ness,  as  having  been  bred  by  George  Faulkner 
and  imported  by  Gorham  Parsons,  Brighton, 
Mass.,  in  1818.  We  cannot  identify  him. 

In  1828  Mr.  Francis  Rotch  of  New  York,  who 
was  then  in  England,  shipped  to  his  brother-in- 
law  Benjamin  Rodman,  New  Bedford,  Mass., 
the  bull  Devonshire  (966)  and  the  cows  Ade- 
liza,  Dulcibella  and  Galatea,  all  from  the  herd 
of  Mr.  Whitaker,  all  roans,  all  possessing  good 


182         A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

pedigrees,  and  all  sired  by  the  famous  Freder- 
ick (1060).  The  cows  gave  rise  to  families  bear- 
ing their  respective  names,  which,  like  the  Pan- 
sies  and  Arabellas,  acquired  wide  repute  for 
their  excellence  at  the  pail.  Devonshire  was 
bought  by  Lewis  F.  Allen,  founder  of  the 
American  Short-horn  Herd  Book,  in  1834  and 
died  at  eleven  years  of  age.  He  was  a  bull  of 
good  scale  and  fine  points.  Adeliza  and  Dulci- 
bella  were  good  cows,  prolific  breeders,  excel- 
lent milkers,  and  lived  to  be  aged  animals.*  In 
1831-32  the  young  white  cow  Roxanne,  by 
Frederick,  and  her  white  heifer  Mary  Whitaker 
were  added  to  Mr.  Rodman's  holdings  by  pur- 
chase from  Jonas  Whitaker. 

In  1830  Mr.  Enoch  Silsby  of  Boston  imported 
the  cow  Agatha,  by  Sir  Charles  (1440),  and  the 
yearling  bull  Boston  (1735),  both  roans  from 
the  herd  of  Mr.  Curry  of  Northumberland. 
They  proved  excellent  breeders,  and  Agatha's 
descendants  subsequently  became  widely  and 
favorably  known. 

Early  New  York  importations. — Gen.  Ste- 
phen Van  Rensselaer  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  brought 

*  Speaking  of  the  purchase  of  these  Whitaker  cattle  Mr.  Rotch  said :  "I 
arrived  at  Otley  just  in  time  to  attend  an  exhibition  of  stock,  which  was 
then  the  great  and  leading  show  of  the  North  for  Short-horns.  My  sudden 
arrival  as  an  American  created  much  interest  and  kindly  feeling,  which 
showed  itself  in  the  strong  wish  that  I  should  not  go  away  without  obtain- 
ing the  animals  I  selected,  though  they  were  not  intended  for  sale."  Mr. 
Rotch  was  a  fine  type  of  that  intelligent  body  of  men  seeking  in  the  early 
days  the  improvement  of  American  live  stock.  He  lived  to  a  green  old  age 
at  his  country  home  in  Otsego  Co.,  New  York,  and  retained  a  great  interest 
in  Short  horns  to  the  last. 


FIRST   IMPORTATIONS   TO   AMERICA.  183 

out  in  1823  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Champion  the 
bull  Washington  (1566)*  and  the  cows  Conquest 
and  Pansy  by  Blaize  (76).  Conquest  failed  to 
breed,  but  Pansy  had  several  daughters  by 
Washington  that  gave  rise  to  a  very  noted 
family  of  dairy  Short-horns,  afterward  popular 
throughout  New  England  and  the  West. 

In  1821  Humphrey  Hollis,  an  Englishman 
who  emigrated  to  New  York,  brought  out  two 
cows  called  Hart  and  Nudd,  said  to  be  sired  by 
Collings'  Wellington.  Their  descendants  were 
at  one  time  to  be  found  in  New  York  and  Penn- 
sylvania herds.  In  1823  George  M.  Tibbetts  of 
Troy  brought  out  a  red  bull  called  Young  Comet 
2419.  In  1828  a  Mr.  Green  of  New  York  im- 
ported the  bull  Banquo  1226  and  sent  him  to 
the  State  of  Maine.  About  the  same  date  Abi- 
jah  Hammond  of  Westchester  County  brought 
out  the  cow  Old  Willey,  unpedigreed,  several  of 
whose  descendants  are  recorded  in  the  first  vol- 
ume of  the  American  Herd  Book. 

In  1822  and  succeeding  years  Mr.  Charles 
Henry  Hall,  a  New  York  merchant  who  had 
previously  lived  and  done  business  in  various 
European  countries,  imported  a  number  of 
Short-horns  selected  from  good  English  herds, 
among  them  the  cows  Princess,  by  Lancaster 
(360),  that  was  bred  in  1816  by  Robert  Colling; 

*  Lewis  F.  Allen  lends  his  name  to  the  statement  that  Washing-ton  lived 
to  be  nineteen  years*  old,  doing-  service  in  his  eighteenth  year. 

. 


184        A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Canada,  by  Sir  Peter  (606) ;  Primrose,  by  George ; 
and  bulls  Regent  899,  Young  Hector  and  Comet. 
A  few  of  Mr.  Hall's  cattle  bred  from  these  im- 
portations were  kept  on  a  small  farm  near  Har- 
lem, but  the  major  portion  were  taken  to  Green- 
bush,  near  Albany,  where  they  were  kept  and 
bred  for  some  years.  It  seems  that  Mr.  Hall 
was  not  careful  to  preserve  accurately  the 
breeding  records  of  his  stock,  and  through  this 
inattention  the  correct  lineage  of  many  of  his 
cattle  was  lost.  Largely  through  the  influence 
of  these  purchases  several  other  New  York 
business  men  imported  Short-horns  and  bred 
them  on  Long  Island  and  in  Westchester 
County,  but  the  pedigrees  of  these  were  neg- 
lected also. 

Col.  Powel's  purchases. — Between  the  years 
1822  and  1831  Col.  John  H.  Powel  of  Powelton, 
near  Philadelphia,  imported  about  twenty-four 
head  of  cows  and  heifers  and  seven  bulls,  a 
majority  of  which  were  of  Mr.  Whi taker's 
breeding.  Included  among  these  were  the 
bulls  Bertram  (1716),  Bolivar  (804),  Gloucester 
(1074)  and  Memnon  (1223)— all  by  Frederick 
(1060);  and  the  cows  Belina  by  Barmpton  (54), 
Desdemona  by  Frederick  (1060),  Cleopatra  (of 
Richard  Booth's  breeding)  by  Pilot  (496),  Ruby 
by  Young  Dimple  (971)  and  Mandane  by  Rich- 
mond (1380) — all  of  which  founded  good  fam- 
ilies of  dual-purpose  cattle.  Belina  was  indeed 


FIRST   IMPORTATIONS    TO    AMERICA.  185 

one  of  the  great  dairy  cows  of  her  time,  hav- 
ing a  well -authenticated  butter  record  of  20| 
Ibs.  per  week.  Cleopatra  was  the  first  Booth- 
bred  cow  imported  to  America  and  was  sold 
by  Col.  Powel  to  David  Sutton  of  Kentucky  in 
1833.  She  was  called  "a  grand  cow."* 

The  bull  Bertram  not  only  had  the  endorse- 
ment of  Thomas  Batesf  but  was  recognized  by 
American  breeders  as  one  of  the  best  Short- 
horn bulls  that  had  been  imported  up  to  that 
period.  He  was  a  compactly-fashioned,  short- 
legged  red  of  Colling' s  Old  Daisy  sort,  possess- 
ing a  fine  touch,  good  hair  and  an  impressive 
individuality.  Allen  says:  " The  cows  struck 
us  as  being  of  excellent  quality,  with  indica- 
tions of  giving  large  quantities  of  milk;  were 
good  in  form,  long  in  body,  straight  on  back, 
broad  in  the  hips,  with  fine  heads  and  horns, 
excellent  coats  of  hair  and  well-shaped  udders." 

Ancestress  of  the  Louans. — In  1821  a  Mr. 
Law  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  imported  the  roan  cow 
Rosemary  (of  J.  C.  Curwen's  breeding),  by  Flash 
(261),  and  her  white  heifer  Virginia,  by  General 
(272),  that  afterward  passed  into  the  possession 

*See  Preface  A.  H.  B.,  Vol  XIV. 

t"I  think  the  bull  Bertram  which  you  have  bought  of  Mr.  Whitaker  of 
Greenholme  la  tlhq  frost  bull  I  know  of  at  present  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a 
good  stock  of  Shorthorns  in  any  country.  He  is  descended  from  one  of 
the  best-milking'  and  quickest-grazing  tribes,  and  one  which  yielded  meat 
of  the  best  quality,  and,  as  I  found  by  experiments,  left  tne  most  for  the 
food  consumed.  I  used  the  Daisy  bull,  brother  of  the  great-grand^/m  of 
Bertram  above  thirty  years  aero.  *  *  *  I  consider  Bertram  a  much  supe- 
rior bull  to  Comet,  which  bull  I  saw  sold  for  1,000  guineas. at  public  sale, 
and  afterward  £1,500  was  offered  for  him."— Thomas  Bates  to  Col.  Powel,  lotft 


186        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

of  Col.  Powel  and  became  the  ancestress  of  the 
family  so  noted  in  Kentucky  and  other  West- 
ern States  under  the  name  of  Louans.  From 
the  Curwen  herd  Mr.  Law  also  bought  the  bull 
Bishop  (73)  and  the  cow  Assurance. 

During  the  same  year  there  was  imported 
into  Maryland  the  roan  bull  Champion  (864), 
the  white  heifer  White  Rose,  by  Warrior  (673), 
and  the  red-and-white  heifer  Shepherdess,  by 
Magnet  (392) — all  of  Mr.  Champion's  breeding. 
White  Rose  was  in  calf  to  Blaize  (76) — sire  of 
imp.  Pansy  previously  mentioned  —  and  was 
sold  to  Gov.  Lloyd  of  Maryland.  She  produced 
to  this  English  service  the  bull  Wye  Comet 
(1591).  Shepherdess  and  Wye  Comet  were  sold 
to  Col.  Powel.  Mr.  Allen  credits  this  importa- 
tion to  Col.  John  S.  Skinner,  and  Mr.  Warfield 
to  a  Mr.  Oliver. 

Walter  Dun's  importations. — In  1833  Mr. 
Walter  Dun,  a  Scotchman  living  near  Lexing- 
ton, Ky.,  sent  an  order  to  a  friend,  one  William 
Douglas,  residing  in  the  South  of  Scotland,  to 
go  into  Yorkshire  and  buy  several  head  of 
Short-horns  to  be  shipped  out  to  America. 
Ample  funds  were  supplied,  and  the  animals 
were  to  be  chosen  with  reference  to  quality 
rather  than  to  price  or  pedigree;  Six  head 
were  bought  and  shipped  from  Liverpool  Sept. 
5,  1833,  arriving  safely  in  Kentucky  on  Nov.  26 
following.  This  shipment  proved  of  much  value 


FIRST   IMPORTATIONS    TO    AMERICA.  187 

in  capable  hands  on  both  sides  of  the  Ohio  River, 
some  of  the  best  cattle  of  succeeding  years  tra- 
cing descent  to  it.  The  imported  cows  were 
Caroline  (red),  by  Dashwood;  Red  Rose  (red- 
and- white),  by  Ernesty;  White  Rose  (white), 
by  Publicola;  Multiflora  (roan),  by  Walter; 
Daisy  (red-and-white),  by  Wild,  and  Premium 
(roan),  by  Maxim  us,  which  were  accompanied 
by  the  two-year-old  bull  Symmetry  (5382). 
Some  of  the  bulls  appearing  in  certain  of  these 
pedigrees  were  not  at  that  time  recorded  in 
England,  on  account  of  which  efforts  to  dis- 
credit their  descendants  were  subsequently 
made;  and,  as  in  the  case  of  the  "Seventeens," 
Pattons  and  Cox  cattle,  such  efforts  were  at- 
tended with  more  or  less  success. 

In  1836,  in  connection  with  Mr.  Samuel 
Smith,  Mr.  Dun  sent  another  order  to  Mr. 
Douglas,  which  was  filled  by  the  shipment  of 
the  roan  bull  Comet  (1854),  the  red-and-white 
George  (2059),  and  the  cows  Mary  Ann  (roan), 
by  Middlesboro;  Adelaide  (roan),  by  Magnum 
Bonum  (2243),  and  Jewess.  The  latter  proved 
barren.  Adelaide  was  in  calf  to  Brutus  (1752), 
and  gave  birth  to  the  heifer  Beauty  of  Wharf- 
dale.  Mary  Ann  had  been  served  in  England 
by  Norfolk,  and  gave  birth  to  the  roan  bull  calf 
Otley  (4632).  To  these  cows  the  American  Ade- 
laide and  Mary  Ann  families  trace.  In  1838 
Mr.  Dun  imported  two  bulls  from  Premium,  by 


188        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Maximus,  and  Young  Charlotte,  by  Thorp,  re- 
corded as  Otho  794  arid  Tarik.1022. 

Meantime  the  Ohio  Co.  had  begun  its  memo- 
rable importations,  and  the  desire  for  good 
Short-horns  among  the  better  class  of  farmers 
was  universal.  Messrs.  Dun  and  Smith  both 
died  shortly  after  these  latter  importations,  and 
at  an  auction  sale  held  by  their  executors  Sept. 
11, 1838,  the  prices  made  revealed  the  fact  that 
the  breeders  of  that  period  were  both  prosper- 
ous and  enterprising.  Imp.  Adelaide  brought 
$1,375  from  Messrs.  Dillard  &  Ferguson,  and 
her  daughter  $755  from  F.  S.  Read.  The  cow 
Adeline  brought  $1,030,  and  her  daughter  $440. 
Imp.  Mary  Ann  and  her  Norfolk  bull  calf,  then 
but  ten  days  old,  fetched  $2,100  from  Messrs. 
R.  G.  Jackson  and  B.  P.  Gray,  and  Allen  states 
that  Messrs.  Wesson  and  Shropshire  afterward 
gave  that  amount  for  Otley  alone.  At  this 
same  sale  R.  T.  Dillard  and  C.  R.  Ferguson  gave 
$1,235  for  the  cow  Ellen,  C.  C.  Morgan  $1,230 
for  the  cow  Cleopatra  and  W.  S.  Hume  $1,000 
for  the  bull  calf  Oliver  Keen— all  the  property 
of  Mr.  Smith's  estate.  The  bull  Comet  had 
meantime  become  the  individual  property  of 
Mr.  John  G.  Dun,  and  for  him  the  great  price 
of  $3,000  was  offered  by  Mr.  Gray,  one  of  the 
buyers  of  imp.  Mary  Ann.  He  was  bred  by  Mr. 
Crofton  from  a  Mason  foundation.  Otley  was 
supposed  to  have  been  bred  by  Mr.  Fawkes. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  OHIO  VALLEY  HERDS. 

In  a  general  way  it  may  be  said  that  during 
the  first  period  following  the  early  introduc- 
tion of  Short-horn  blood  into  America  the  type 
developed  greatest  favor  among  the  holders  of 
the  rich  lands  of  Central  Kentucky  and  South- 
ern Central  Ohio.  In  New  England  and  New 
York  it  had  been  chiefly  in  the  hands  of  gen- 
tlemen of  wealth  and  leisure,  and  the  farm- 
ers of  that  section,  who  kept  cattle  mainly  for 
the  dairy  and  the  yoke,  were  rather  inclined  to 
regard  the  breed  as  a  mere  "fancy"  type,  not 
specially  adapted  to  their  comparatively  thin 
soils  and  rigorous  climate.  Still  the  merit  of 
Short-horn  cows  as  dairy  cattle  was  recognized, 
and  the  blood  was  freely  used  by  those  who  saw, 
particularly  in  the  Wetherell  and  Whitaker 
stock,  a  valuable  "general-purpose"  type. 

In  Ohio  and  Kentucky  the  Short-horns  found 
a  most  congenial  home,  and  quickly  acquired 
favor  among  practical  men  in  close  touch  with 
the  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia  markets — men 
who  had  found  in  the  Gough  &  Miller  and  San- 
ders cattle  a  class  of  stock  that  made  wonder- 

(189) 


190        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

ful  responses  to  good  keep.  Their's  was  a  veri- 
table land  of  plenty — a  country  teeming  with 
corn  and  blue  grass.  York  and  Durham  were 
fairly  distanced  in  comparison,  so  far  as  unlim- 
ited feed  supplies  were  concerned.  Hundreds 
of  prime  Short-horn  bullocks  were  matured  and 
driven  across  the  mountains  to  the  seaboard 
markets.  It  was  in  the  course  of  this  trade 
that  the  Ohio  Valley  drovers  and  graziers,  liv- 
ing remote  from  the  great  centers  of  popula- 
tion, learned  of  the  establishment  of  the  Powel 
herd,  and  in  spite  of  the  distance  and  obstacles 
to  be  overcome  they  invested  in  fresh  blood 
from  that  source  and  introduced  it  upon  their 
"Pattons"  and  "  Seventeens."  When  we  con- 
sider the  length  of  the  journey  from  Cincin- 
nati to  Philadelphia  before  the  days  of  rail- 
roads one  can  but  admire  the  pluck  and  enter- 
prise displayed  by  the  sturdy  pioneers  engaged 
in  this  trans- Allegheny  cattle  traffic.  Those 
who  had  been  fortunate  enough  in  the  first 
rush  of  the  tide  of  emigration  to  secure  large 
holdings  in  Kentucky  and  Ohio  found  that 
Short-horn  blood  enabled  them  to  reap  a  rich 
harvest  from  their  grain  and  pasture  lands. 
Never  has  there  been  a  more  complete  demon- 
stration of  the  value  of  good  blood  in  farming 
operations  than  was  afforded  by  the  history  of 
the  introduction  of  the  Short-horn  into  the 
Ohio  Valley  States.  To  them  the  hoof  of  the 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   OHIO   VALLEY   HERDS.     191 

"red,  white  and  roan"  was  indeed  golden,  and 
to  this  day  no  other  type  of  cattle  has  found 
equal  favor  among  those  enjoying  the  fruits  of 
the  Short-horn's  peaceful  invasion  of  the  an- 
cestral acres. 

Feeding  for  seaboard  markets. — Virginians 
from  the  valley  of  the  South  Branch  of  the 
Potomac  were  the  most  influential  of  the  pio- 
neers who  settled  in  Southern  Central  Ohio  and 
Kentucky  early  in  the  nineteenth  century. 
They  had  been  accustomed  to  breeding  cattle 
for  grazing  and  feeding  purposes  and  originated 
the  system  of  fattening  steers  in  large  num- 
bers by  feeding  "shock"  corn  in  the  open  fields 
during  the  winter  months.  Among  the  earliest 
of  these  emigrants  were  the  brothers  George 
and  Felix  Renick,  from  Hardy  Co.,  Va.,  who 
found  their  way  over  the  mountains  on  horse- 
back, with  the  aid  of  a  compass,*  arid  selected 
large  tracts  of  land  in  the  valley  of  the  Scioto 
River,  near  the  present  site  of  Chillicothe,  0. 
Other  members  of  the  Renick  family  followed 
them,  but  George  and  Felix  by  their  enterprise 
in  cattle-growing  gained  the  right  to  recogni- 
tion as  the  most  distinguished  of  those  who 
laid  the  foundation  for  Short-horn  breeding  in 
the  State  of  their  adoption. 

George  Renick  first  conceived  the  idea  of 

*Hon.  T.  C.  Jones'  address  before  the  Iowa  Short-horn  Breeders'  Asso- 
ciation in  1884. 


192        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

driving  fat  cattle  from  the  Scioto  to  Baltimore, 
and  although  his  Virginia  friends  scouted  the 
plan  as  impracticable,  he  nevertheless  put  it  to 
the  test,  and  in  1805  successfully  drove  sixty- 
eight  head  through  in  good  condition  and  dis- 
posed of  them  at  a  round  profit.  The  problem 
of  a  market  was  solved,  and  the  industry  de- 
veloped with  amazing  rapidity.  In  1817  Felix 
Renick  drove  100  head  of  prime  fat  Short-horn 
steers  through  to  Philadelphia,  receiving  for 
them  in  that  market  $134  per  head!  In  1818 
George  Renick  sent  a  drove  through  to  New 
York — the  first  Western  cattle  ever  seen  there 
—that  sold  for  $69  per  head.*  These  cattle 
were  descended  from  the  Gough  &  Miller  stock, 
the  roan  bull  Pluto  825  being  one  of  the  sources 
from  whence  that  blood  was  derived.  Felix 
Renick  became  the  leading  feeder  of  "top" 
cattle  in  his  State,  and  aside  from  the  Messrs. 
Goff  of  Kentucky  was  probably  the  most  ex- 
tensive breeder  and  feeder  of  well-bred  bul- 
locks in  the  United  States  in  his  day.  George 
Renick  also  fed  largely  for  nearly  fifty  years. 

Other  successful  Ohio  breeders  and  feeders  of 
the  early  days  were  Gov.  Allen  Trimble,  John 
I.  Van  Meter,  James  Vanse,  John  Grouse,  Wil- 
liam, Jonathan  and  Thomas  Renick,  Messrs. 
Huston,  M.  L.  Sullivant  and  R.  R.  Seymour. 
The  latter  fed  from  100  to  700  head  annually, 

•Related  by  the  late  William  Renick  of  Circteville,  O. 


DEVELOPMENT   OF    OHIO   VALLEY   HERDS.    193 

and  in  1841  drove  840  head  through  to  Phila- 
delphia.* The  Shakers  of  Warren  County  also 
gave  their  attention  to  the  improvement  of 
their  cattle  by  the  use  of  the  Patton  and  "  Sev- 
enteen "  blood.  Cattle-feeding  was  thoroughly 
established  as  a  profitable  industry  by  the  time 
the  Walter  Dun  importations  were  made,  and 
the  rivalry  that  developed  between  the  breed- 
ers and  feeders  on  either  side  of  the  Ohio  River 
was  like  unto  that  which  existed  in  Britain 
"twixt  North  o'  Tweed  and  South  o'  Tweed." 
The  owners  of  the  Dun  cattle  were  loud  in 
their  claims  as  to  the  superiority  of  their  stock 
over  the  other  Short-horns  of  that  period.  The 
bull  Comet  was  their  trump  card  and  was  hav- 
ing quite  his  own  way  at  the  cattle  shows.f 
Kentucky  was  for  the  time  being  "on  top." 
Men  of  similar  blood  and  with  equal  pride  in 
their  herds  dwelt  across  the  river,  however,  and 
they  did  not  propose  to  permit  their  friends, 
relatives  and  competitors  in  Fayette,  Bourbon, 
Clark  and  adjacent  (Kentucky)  counties  to  hold 
the  whip  hand.  They  had  the  land,  the  feed, 
the  brains  and  the  capital  to  defend  their  own 

*  Mr.  Seymour  removed  from  Virginia  to  Ohio  in  1830.  He  says  that  when 
he  left  Virginia  all  the  principal  cattlemen  in  the  South  Branch  Valley  had 
stock  of  the  English  blood,  either  of  the  Gough  &  Miller  importations  or 
the  Long-horns,  and  in  some  instances  they  had  a  mixture  of  those  breeds ; 
as  was  also  the  case  to  some  extent  in  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  This  accounts 
for  the  fact  that  about  fifty  years  ago  it  was  not  uncommon  to  hear  people 
speak  of  "  Long-horn  Durhams."  This  mixture,  however,  proved  very  gen- 
erally unpopular. 

t  William  Warfield,  in  Breeder's  Gazette,  Aug.  6, 1886. 
13    . 


194        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

position  in  the  cattle  trade,  and  they  were  men 
of  action.  They  had  indeed  already  taken  steps 
to  protect  and  promote  their  own  interests  by 
the  formation  of  the  memorable 

Ohio  Importing  Company. — Felix  Renick,  a 
man  deserving  high  rank  in  American  Short- 
horn history  as  one  of  the  most  intelligent  of  all 
those  who  helped  to  place  the  "infant  industry  " 
squarely  upon  its  feet,  was  the  prime  mover  in 
a  proposition  looking  to  the  formation  of  a 
joint  stock  company  to  be  made  up  of  the  lead- 
ing contemporary  cattle-growers  of  the  Scioto 
Valley  and  contiguous  Ohio  territory  for  the 
purchase  of  English  cattle.  Nov.  2,  1833,  ex- 
Governors  Allen  Trimble  and  Duncan  McAr- 
thur,  with  the  Messrs.  Renick  and  others, 
formed  a  company  "for  the  purpose  of  promot- 
ing the  interests  of  agriculture  and  of  intro- 
ducing an  improved  breed  of  cattle,"  and  they, 
together  with  the  subscribers  mentioned  below, 
contributed  the  amount  of  money  necessary 
"  to  import  from  England  some  of  the  best  im- 
proved cattle  of  that  country." 

There  were  in  all  about  fifty  shareholders, 
but  two  of  whom  resided  out  of  the  State. 
These  were  Isaac  Cunningham  of  Kentucky 
and  W.  H.  Cunningham  of  Virginia.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  list  of  the  other  subscribers  from 
the  several  counties  represented  in  this  asso- 
ciation: Ross — Ex-Gov.  Duncan  McArthur,  Fe-. 


DEVELOPMENT    OF    OHIO    VALLEY    HERDS.    195 

lix  Renick,  George  Renick,  James  Vanse,  R.  R. 
Seymour,  E.  J.  Harness,  Arthur  Watts,  S.  Mc- 
Neil, John  McNeil,  Wesley  Claypool,  John  T. 
Webb,  Robert  Stewart,  Archibald  Sfcewart,  Jas. 
G.  White,  John  Pancake,  John  Foster,  John 
Grouse,  Presley  Morris,  John  L.  Taylor,  B.  J. 
Davis  and  Charles  Davis.  The  subscribers  in 
Pickaway  County  were:  William  Renick,  S.  S. 
Denney,  Thomas  Huston,  Elias  Florence,  Josiah 
Renick,  Harness  Renick,  Thomas  Renick,  Wil- 
liam Renick  Jr.,  Jonathan  Renick,  Elias  Pratt, 
John  Boggs.Sr.,  J.  M.  Alkire,  Francis  Campbell, 
Evan  Stevenson,  Ashel  Renick  and  George  Rad- 
cliff.  From  Franklin  County  were:  M.  L.  Sul- 
livant,  Lyne  Sterling  and  E.  W.  Gwynne.  Fay- 
ette — Batteal  Harrison,  A.  Hagler  and  M.  Pat- 
terson .  Highland — Ex-Gov.  Allen  Trimble  and 
H.  P.  Gallaway.  Pike — John  I.  Vanmeter. 

The  stockholders  appointed  Felix  Renick  as 
their  agent  to  proceed  to  England  and  select 
the  cattle.  That  his  experience  was  such  as  to 
qualify  him  admirably  for  the  work  must  ap- 
pear from  what  has  already  been  stated  con- 
cerning his  commanding  position  in  reference 
to  bullock-breeding.  Edwin  J.  Harness  and 
Josiah  Renick  were  designated  to  act  as  assist- 
ants. They  were  not  limited  to  the  purchase 
of  Short-horns,  the  idea  being  to  entrust  the 
trio  with  plenary  powers.  Members  of  the 
company  were  willing  to  experiment  with  other 


196        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

breeds  if  thought  advisable,  and  in  a  letter  writ- 
ten by  Henry  Clay  to  Gov.  Trimble,  dated  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  Dec.  13, 1833,  the  great  Kentuckian 
advised  the  purchase  of  typical  specimens  of  the 
"Durham,"  Hereford  and  Devon  breeds.  He 
thought  the  Devons  might  do  well,  as  being 
specially  adapted  for  contending  with  the  hard- 
ships of  the  long  journey  from  the  West  to  the 
Eastern  markets.  That  Mr.  Renick  was  not 
averse  to  studying  this  proposition  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  while  at  Baltimore  en  route  to  Eng- 
land he  and  his  colleagues  visited  a  herd  of 
Devons  belonging  to  Mr.  Patterson  of  that  city 
and  they  were  well  pleased  with  the  "  rubies." 
Proceeding  to  Philadelphia  they  called  upon 
Col.  Powel,  examined  his  Short-horn  herd,  and 
received  many  useful  hints  from  him  in  refer- 
ence to  the  purchasing  and  shipping  of  stock 
across  the  Atlantic.  It  is  of  interest  in  this 
connection  as  showing  the  changes  in  popular 
taste  in  respect  to  color  that  Felix  Renick  spoke 
of  the  Powel  cattle  as  "white,  red-and-white 
pied  and  the  fashionable  roan."  They  had  set 
out  from  Ohio  upon  their  long  journey  on  Jan. 
29,  1834,  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  they  ar- 
rived in  England  free  from  prejudice  not  only 
as  between  the  different  breeds  but  also  as  be- 
tween the  rival  breeders  of  Short-horns,  con- 
cerning whom  they  had  doubtless  heard  some- 
thing from  Col.  Powel  before  embarking  for  the 
other  side. 


DEVELOPMENT    OF    OHIO    VALLEY    HERDS.    197 

Felix  Renick  and  confreres  in  England.— 

The  Ohio  Co.'s  agents  landed  at  Liverpool  March 
24,  1834,  and  immediately  addressed  themselves 
to  the  business  in  hand.  As  the  visit  was  an 
historic  one,  by  reason  of  its  far-reaching  effects 
upon  American  Short-horn  breeding,  some  de- 
tails will  be  of  interest. 

After  examining  a  few  herds  about  Liverpool 
they  journeyed  toward  Yorkshire,  stopping  at 
Leeds  to  see  the  herd  of  Mr.  W.  F.  Paley. 
Finding  his  stock  of  excellent  breeding  and 
quality  they  secured  options  on  a  few  animals. 
They  next  attended  the  Bipley  show,  after 
which  they  proceeded  to  Studley  to  see  Rich- 
ard Booth's  herd.  With  the  Studley  cattle  Mr. 
Renick  was  well  pleased,  but  as  they  were  then 
announced  to  be  sold  at  a  later  date  at  auction 
none  could  be  priced.  The  herds  of  J.  Wood- 
house,  A.  L.  Maynard,  J.  Clark  and  the  elder 
Booth  (at  Killerby)  were  next  seen.  Arriving 
at  Darlington  the  Americans  fell  in  with  Thos. 
Bates.  They  were  at  once  invited  to  Kirklev- 
ington,  Mr.  Bates  insisting  that  they  make  his 
house  their  headquarters  while  in  that  vicin- 
ity.* Mr.  Renick  writing  of  this  said:  "Mr. 

*This  incident  is  thus  related  by  Cadwallader  Bates:  "  On  Easter  Mon- 
day, 1834,  Bates  was  as  usual  at  Darlington,  market.  Some  Americans  stay- 
ing at  the  King's  Head  came  up  and  spoke  to  him.  *  *  *  In  the  course  of 
the  conversation  Bates  soon  found  that  they  possessed  a  great  knowledge 
upon  the  subject  of  Short-horns.  *  *  *  He  gave  them  full  details  of  his 
experience,  telling  them,  among  other  things,  that  Belvedere's  sire,  Water- 
loo (2810),  fhen  in  his  sixteenth  year,  and  Norfolk  (2377)  were  the  only  two 
bulls  besides  Belvedere  (17C6)  that  were  in  his  opinion  the  least  likely  to 
got  good  stock."— "Thomas  Bates  and  the  Kirklevington  Short-horns,"  page  247. 


198        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Bates  is  a  wealthy  bachelor,  owns  a  fine  farm 
of  1,000  acres,  all  under  best  cultivation.     He 
keeps  a  dairy  of  forty  or  fifty  cows,  generally 
of  the  best  Short-horn  blood,  from  which  he 
raises  some  very  fine  stock,  and  had  then  on 
hand  some  young  bulls  and  heifers  better  than 
any  we  have  seen  elsewhere."    Bates  was  evi- 
dently flattered  by  the  compliments  bestowed 
by  these  intelligent  foreign,  visitors — the  more 
so,  doubtless,  as  they  had  already  been  at  Stud- 
ley  and  Killerby — and  to  the  surprise  of  his 
friends  he  offered  to  sell  them  six  of  his  best 
females.     The  Americans  were  not  yet  ready 
to  buy,  however,  and  continued  their  investi- 
gations.     Bates  furnished  them   with  horses 
and  rode  with  his  guests  for  several  days  among 
the  herds  of   the  Valley  of  the  Tees;  "but," 
says  Felix  Renick,  "from  our  own  observa- 
tions, as  well  as  the  judgment  of  Mr.  Bates, 
their  stock  [that  of  the  neighboring  breeders] 
is  generally 'going  back."     He  expressed  dis- 
appointment- at  the  character  of  many  of  the 
herds  visited.     They  then  turned  Southward, 
"Mr.   Bates  going  with   us."      Evidently  the 
sage  of  Kirklevington  was  determined  that  his 
guests  should  not  "go  wrong"  in  their  buying 
—from  his  standpoint — if  he  could  prevent  it. 
In  company  with  Bates  they  called  on  Jonas 
Whitaker,  who  had  dispersed  his  herd  the  pre- 
vious autumn. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  OHIO  VALLEY  HERDS.  199 

At  this  point  in  their  inquiries  it  was  ar- 
ranged for  Messrs.  Harness  and  Josiali  Renick 
to  go  to  London  and  thence  into  Hereford  and 
Devonshire  as  per  Henry  Clay's  suggestion.  If 
pleased  with  those  breeds  Felix  Renick  was  to 
join  them  and  decide  as  to  what  should  be  done. 
The  impression  made  upon  these  gentlemen  was 
evidently  not  favorable  as  against  the  Short- 
horns as  no  purchases  were  made.  Meantime 
Felix  Renick  went  with  Mr.  Whitaker  and  Mr. 
Paley  to  Lord  Althorpe's,  and  with  Bates  to 
Lord  Feversham's.  Mr.  Fawkes,  Col.  Cradock 
and  Mr.  Raine  were  also  visited.  It  thus  ap- 
pears that  a  very  thorough  examination  of  the 
English  herds  of  that  date  was  made,  and  in  a 
letter  to  his  friend,  S.  S.  Denney  of  Ohio,  Felix 
Renick  gave  his  impressions  of  the  cattle  as 
follows: 

"From  the  appearance  of  many  of  the  old  bulls  and  cows  we 
have  seen,  which  are  now  from  twelve  to  twenty  years  of  age,  it  is 
very  evident  to  me  that  their  stocks  here  have  been  rather  on  the 
decline  for  some  years  back  owing  to  several  causes,  the  principal 
of  which  I  believe  to  be  the  unbounded  prejudices  generally  pre- 
vailing among  the  breeders,  each  one  thinking  his  own  the  best 
and  consequently  breeding  in-and-in  too  much,  to  the  great  injury 
of  their  stock,  although  some  of  them  are  now  partially  convinced 
of  their  error  and  in  some  measure  changing  their  practice. 

"We  have  done  the  best  we  could  and  procured  some  that  are 
at  least  as  good  as  the  country  affords,  for  which  we  have  paid  all 
sorts  of  prices,  from  30  guineas  up  to  175  guineas,  such  is  the 
disparity  of  prices.  The  value  depends  almost  entirely  upon  the 
purity  of  blood  and  high  pedigree.  If  a  breeder  here  goes  to  pur- 
chase an  animal  for  his  own  use  to  breed  from  he  will  not  have  it 
at  all  if  he  cannot  trace  it  back  some  50  or  100  years  and  have  it 
descended  from  the  famous  bull  Comet,  that  sold  for  1,000  guineas, 


200        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

or  some  other  equally  as  good ;  and  on  the  side  of  the  dam  it  must 
also  have  descended  from  Old  Daisy,  for  whom  some  hundred 
guineas  were  refused,  or  some  other  equal  in  their  estimation. 
Thus  you  see  the  situation  we  are  placed  in.  We  must  either  take 
cattle  without  pedigree  or  much  of  anything  else  to  recommend 
them  or  take  those  that  have  at  least  pedigrees,  with  more  excel- 
lence of  form  and  size,  at  a  high  price.  The  latter  was  in  our 
judgment  the  better  of  the  two  alternatives  and  the  one  we  have 
so  far  pursued,  and  shall  continue  to  pursue,  and  take  fewer  in 
number." 

Having  looked  the  ground  over  to  his  satis- 
faction Mr.  Renick  selected  and  bought  nine- 
teen head  of  cattle — seven  bulls  and  twelve 
females.  Norfolk  he  had  been  unable  to  secure 
from  Mr.  Fawkes  at  an  alleged  offer  of  400  guin- 
eas. Mr.  Bates  had  priced  his  "pet  beauty," 
Duchess  33d,  at  150  guineas,  Duchess  34th  at  100 
guineas,  and  the  Matchem  Cow  at  15  guineas, 
but  neither  of  those  noted  animals  was  bought. 
It  is  alleged  that  the  influence  of  Mr.  Whitaker 
was  strenuously  exerted  against  the  purchase 
of  these  two  Duchesses,  but  as  the  former  (bred 
to  Norfolk)  became  the  ancestress  of  the  costly 
New  York  Mills  cattle  and  -the  other  produced 
the  Duke  of  Northumberland  it  was  probably 
well  for  Bates  interests  that  the  Americans  did 
not  take  them.  Mr.  Renick  was  particularly 
pleased  with  the  young  stock  by  Belvedere  and 
took  four  of  his  get — two  bulls  and  two  heifers. 
The  cattle  were  shipped  during  the  summer  of 
1834  to  Philadelphia,  whence  they  were  driven 
over  the  mountains  through  to  Chillicothe  and 
placed  upon  Mr.  Renick's  farm.  The  judgment 


DEVELOPMENT    OF    OHIO    VALLEY    HERDS.     201 

of  the  stockholders  and  contemporary  breeders 
was  that  Mr.  Renick  had  discharged  his  difficult 
task  in  an  eminently  satisfactory  manner.  The 
bulls  were  put  out  in  service  among  the  share- 
holders and  the  company  instructed  Mr.  Renick 
to  arrange  for  further  shipments. 

Two  of  the  heifers  included  in  this  importa- 
tion of  1834  gave  rise  to  families  of  Short-horns 
which  are  at  the  present  day  among  the  most 
numerous  to  be  found  in  the  leading  Short-horn 
breeding  States.  These  were  the  roan  heifers 
Rose  of  Sharon,  bred  by  Mr.  Bates  and  sired  by 
Belvedere,  and  Young  Mary,  bred  by  J.  Clark 
and  sired  by  Jupiter.  Young  Mary  was  taken  to 
Kentucky  and  is  said  to  have  produced  no  less 
than  fourteen  heifer  calves,  besides  one  or  two 
bulls — possibly  the  most  extraordinary  case  on 
record.  She  lived  to  be  twenty-one  years  old. 
The  red  cow  Blossom,  by  Fitz  Favorite,  and  the 
heifer  Matilda,  by  Imperial,  also  left  numerous 
descendants.  Among  the  bulls  of  this  first  im- 
portation were  the  three-year-old  roan  Re- 
former (2505),  of  Raine  breeding;  the  yearling 
Duke  of  York  (1941),  of  Whitaker's  breeding, 
and  Rantipole  (2478),  bred  by  Mr.  Paley,  main- 
ly of  Booth  descent. 

Whitaker's  selections  of  1835  and  1836.— 
Mr.  Renick  deemed  it  safe  to  risk  the  judgment 
of  Mr.  Whitaker  for  such  additional  stock  as 
might  be  wanted,  and  wrote  him  as  follows: 


202        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

"I  am  authorized  by  the  company  to  make  another  small  impor 
tation  in  the  spring,  which  I  beg  the  favor  of  doing  through  you. 
The  calf  of  your  old  cow  Minna  by  Norfolk  I  shall  expect,  pro- 
vided he  still  continues  to  do  well  and  proves,  when  the  time 
arrives  for  starting  him,  to  be  first  rate  in  form,  size,  handling, 
etc.  This  will  be  left  entirely  to  your  own  judgment  and  deci- 
sion. But  we  wish,  if  possible,  to  have  something  a  little  supe- 
rior to  anything  that  has  yet  been  imported.  If  you  do  not  con- 
sider him  so  at  that  time  we  do  not  wish  him  sent.  We  also  wish 
you  to  procure  us  two  young  cows  with  calves  by  Norfolk  or  other 
good  bull.  *  *  *  The  prices  we  were  asked  for  year-old  bull 
calves  by  Lord  Althorpe  and  Mr.  Bates  were  fifty  guineas.  Prom 
others  we  could  have  purchased  them,  perhaps  equally  good,  from 
that  price  down  to  thirty  guineas.  We  want  none  without  fair 
pedigrees,  but  form  and  size  they  must  have  or  they  will  not  be 
well  received  here.  You  will,  of  course,  not  forget  the  handling 
and  quality." 

The  importation  of  1835  was  a  small  one  and 
included  several  animals  sent  out  on  individ- 
ual account.  It  was  upon  this  occasion  that 
Mr.  Bates  shipped  to  America  the  Skipton 
Bridge  Bull  (5208)  and  the  heifer  Hon.  Miss 
Barrington  as  a  present  to  the  Bishop  of  Ohio 
at  Kenyon  College.  In  1836  a  large  shipment 
was  forwarded,  including  many  splendid  spec- 
imens of  the  breed.  These  lots  came  via  New 
York,  being  shipped  from  Albany  to  Buffalo  by 
the  Erie  Canal,  by  lake  from  Buffalo  to  Cleve- 
land, and  thence  driven  "overland"  to  Chilli- 
cothe.  Great  care  and  j  udgment  were  evidently 
used  in  making  these  selections.  Whitaker 
had  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Paley  and  Mr.  Fawkes 
and  wrote  to  Mr.  Renick  shortly  before  the  cat- 
tle were  forwarded  as  follows: 

"Mr.  Fawkes  and  I  returned  last  night  from  our  to»ur  of  inspec- 
tion among  all  the  principal  breeders  from  Ripon  to  the  Bishop  of 


DEVELOPMENT    OF    OHIO    VALLEY    HERDS.     203 

Durham's ;  thence  to  Mr.  Bates',  Mr.  Maynard's,  Mr.  Wiley's,  Mr. 
Harrison's  in  the  East  Riding,  Castle  Howard,  and,  in  conclusion, 
the  Earl  of  Spencer's  at  Wiseton.  We  were  at  it  early  and  late 
for  seven  days.  Booth  had  nothing  to  sell.  Col.  Cradock  will 
sell  or  let  Magnum  Bonum  in  the  autumn,  and  intends  writing  to 
Gen.  Garrard,  who,  he  says,  offered  him  400  guineas  for  him,  and, 
the  Colonel  refusing  to  sell,  he  asked  if  another  hundred  would 
induce  him.  John  Colling  said  the  General  offered  him  300  guineas 
for  two  heifers.  Mr.  Colling  has  now  fixed  to  sell  his  entire  herd 
in  the  autumn  of  1837,  John  Maynard  his  in  the  autumn  of  this 
year.  *  *  *  I  attempted  to  buy  something  of  Mr.  Bates,  but  he 
soared  so  high  I  could  not  grapple  with  him.  For  a  bull  calf  five 
months  old,  by  Belvedere,  dam  by  Belvedere,  grandam  Duchess 
34th,  he  had  the  modesty  to  ask  400  guineas.  I  could  have  bought 
two  young  bulls,  but  they  were  not  good  enough  to  send.  Mr. 
Paley  has  bought  three  females,  but  I  have  not  seen  any  of  them 
but  Sherwood's.  I  have  finished  my  purchases  within  one  beast 
but  have  not  time  to  give  you  particulars — in  fact,  cannot,  not 
having  received  authenticated  pedigrees  of  several  animals.  I 
shall  have  exceeded  your  limits,  but  could  not  avoid  it." 

The  shipments  of  1835  and  1836  embraced 
forty-two  animals,  bringing  the  total  number 
of  cattle  imported  by  the  Ohio  Co.  up  to  sixty- 
one  head,  a  complete  record  of  which  may  be 
found  in  the  valuable  list  of  imported  cows 
compiled  by  Mr.  William  Warfield  and  pub- 
lished by  the  American  Short-horn  Breeders' 
Association.  Space  will  not  permit  us  to  enu- 
merate all  in  this  connection.  It  should  be 
stated,  however,  that  among  the  selections 
made  by  Mr.  Whitaker  were  the  afterward- 
celebrated  cows  Josephine,  by  Norfolk  (2377); 
Young  Phyllis,  by  Fairfax  (1023);  Illustrious, 
by  Emperor  (1974),  and  Harriet,  by  Young 
Waterloo  (2817).  When  Mr.  Felix  Renick  was 
at  Mr.  Whitaker's  in  1834  he  fell  quite  in  love 


204        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

with  the  cow  Minna,  by  Frederick,  mentioned 
in  his  letter  already  quoted.  It  seems  that  this 
cow  was  also  a  special  favorite  with  Mrs.  Whit- 
aker,  and  she  promised  Mr.  Eenick  that  the 
next  heifer  calf  produced  by  Minna  should  be 
reserved  for  him.  The  cow  was  bred  to  Nor- 
folk, and  the  progeny — the  red-and-white  Jo- 
sephine, dropped  in  November,  1835 — was  sent 
out  as  a  calf  to  Mr.  Renick  according  to  prom- 
ise. She  developed  into  a  cow  of  outstanding 
excellence,  and  her  descendants  for  many  years 
constituted  one  of  the  best  families  of  Short- 
horns known  in  the  Western  States.  Young 
Phyllis  was  a  roan,  dropped  Sept.  11, 1831,  bred 
by  the  Earl  of  Carlisle  and  imported  for  Mr. 
E.  J.  Harness.  This  cow  had  a  very  distin- 
guished career  as  a  breeder  in  Kentucky,  and 
her  descendants  are  now  to  be  found  in  many 
first-class  herds.  One  of  her  daughters,  Cath- 
erine Turley,  by  Goldfmder  (2066),  lived  to  be 
eighteen  years  old.  Illustrious  was  also  a  roan, 
dropped  March,  1835,  and  bred  by  Mr.  Crofton. 
A  high  price  was  paid  for  her.  Mr.  Whitaker 
wrote :  "I  consider  her  dear,  but  being  a  beau- 
tiful calf  and  from  one  of  the  best  herds  in  the 
country  I  was  obliged  to  give  more  than  I 
thought  she  was  worth.  As  you  wished  some- 
thing superlative  I  could  not  leave  her."  De- 
scendants of  Illustrious  attained  high  rank  as 
show  and  breeding  stock  in  various  Western 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  OHIO  VALLEY  HERDS.  205 

herds.  Harriet  was  a  red-roan  of  March,  1835. 
She  was  imported  for  Mr.  James  Renick  of 
Kentucky,  a  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Felix  Renick, 
and  her  blood,  as  well  as  that  of  Josephine 
and  Illustrious,  was  afterward  used  by  the  late 
Abram  Renick  in  crossing  upon  his  Rose  of 
Sharon  family. 

Among  the  sixteen  bulls  imported  in  1835 
and  1836  one  of  the  most  noted  was  Comet 
Halley  (1855),  a  light  roan  bred  by  John  May- 
nard,  sired  by  Matchem  (2281),  dam  by  Freder- 
ick (1060),  tracing  to  Robert  Colling's  Golden 
Pippin.  After  Reformer  became  inefficient 
this  bull  seems  to  have  been  more  generally 
used  upon  the  best  cows  of  the  company  than 
any  other  except  the  Duke  of  York.  He  had 
no  difficulty  in  defeating  in  the  show-yard  the 
bull  Comet  of  the  Dun  importation  which  we 
have  previously  mentioned.  Goldfinder  (2066), 
a  roan  of  1835,  had  a  very  successful  career  as 
a  breeder,  fully  confirming  the  hopes  Mr.  Whit- 
aker  expressed  regarding  him  at  the  time  he 
was  selected  as  a  calf.  Prince  Charles  (2461), 
another  roari,  calved  in  1834,  bred  by  Mr.  Whit- 
aker  and  sired  by  Norfolk,  was  imported  spe- 
cially for  Mr.  Geo.  Renick  and  ranked  among 
the  very  best  of  all  the  bulls  brought  out  in 
the  course  of  the  operations  of  the  Ohio  Co. 
and  its  individual  members.  The  roan  bull 
Nimrod  (2371),  by  Norfolk,  matured  into  a 


206        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

grand  animal,  but  he  developed  what  appeared 
to  be  a  tumor  before  the  company's  sale,  and 
but  for  that  would  have  doubtless  brought  a 
very  long  price,  as  Abram  Renick  favored  pur- 
chasing him  instead:  of  Matchem  (2283),  but 
his  associates  did  not  agree  with  him  in  this. 
Nimrod  was  bought  by  Col.  Florence  and  used 
on  grades.  A  few  pure-bred  cows  were  sent  to 
him,  however,  by  Harness  Renick  and  others, 
the  produce  being  cattle  of  extraordinary  merit. 
Sale  of  Oct.  29,  1836.— The  object  of  the 
company — the  transfer  from  England  of  a  val- 
uable stock  of  breeding  cattle  to  Ohio  soil — 
having  now  been  accomplished,  it  was  decided 
to  close  up  the  financial  affairs  of  the  "  syn- 
dicate" by  means  of  auction  sales,  at  which 
stockholders  and  outsiders  alike  would  have 
the  privilege  of  bidding.  The  first  of  these—- 
which was  the  earliest  important  event  of  the 
kind  in  America — was  held  upon  Felix  Renick's 
Indian  Creek  Farm,  in  Ross  County,  in  the  au- 
tumn of  1836.  The  cattle  were  in  fine  condi- 
tion, the  attendance  was  large  and  high  prices 
were  realized,  as  will  appear  from  the  subjoined 
report: 

COWS  AND  HEIFERS. 

Teeswater,  roan,  calved  Oct.  22,  1832;  bred  by  Bates,  of 
Princess  blood,  and  heifer  calf  Cometess,  by  Comet  Hal- 
ley—John  I.  Vanmeter,  Pike  Co.,  0 12,225 

Young  Mary,  roan  four-year-old,  by  Jupiter,  and  roan  heifer 
calf  Pocahontas,  by  Comet  Halley — Edwin  J.  Harness, 
Ross  County 1,500 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   OHIO   VALLEY   HERDS.     207 


Flora,  roan  four-year-old,  by  son  of  Young  Albion  (730),  and 
bull  calf  Powhatan  828>£,  by  Comet  Halley— George 
Renick,  Ross  County 1,205 

Moss  Rose,  roan  two-year-old  heifer,  by  Stapleton  (2698) — 

Jonathan  Renick,  Pickaway  County 1,200 

Malina,  red-and-white  two-year-old,  bred  by  Whitaker — 

Isaac  Cunningham,  Kentucky 1,005 

Blossom,  red  six-year-old,  by  Fitz  Favorite  (1042)— R.  R. 

Seymour,  Ross  County 1,000 

Matilda,  red-and-white,  five  years  old,  by  Imperial  (2151)— 

Arthur  Watts,  Ross  County 1,000 

Gaudy,  red-and-white,  five  years  old,  bred  by  A.  L.  Maynard 

— James  M.  Trimble,  Highland  County 985 

Lily  of  the  Valley  of  the  Tees,  roan,  five  years  old,  bred  by 

Raine — Thomas  Huston,  Pickaway  County 950 

Celestina,  roan,  two  years  old,  bred  by  Whitaker — Thomas 

Huston,  Pickaway  County 930 

Beauty  of  the  West,  red  two-year-old  heifer  from  imp. 
Blossom,  by  Fitz  Favorite— Asahel  Renick,  Pickaway 
County 900 

Lady  Abernethy,  roan  yearling  (imported),  bred  by  Mr. 

Wy lie— Thomas  Huston,  Pickaway  County 815 

Illustrious,  roan  yearling,  by  Emperor  (9174)— Abram  Renick, 

Kentucky 775 

Lady  of  the  Lake,  red,  little  white,  yearling  heifer,  by  Re- 
former (2505)  out  of  imp.  Rose  of  Sharon— R.  R.  Sey- 
mour, Ross  County 775 

Poppy,  red-and-white  heifer  calf,  by  Rantipole  (2478)  out  of 
Blossom  by  Fitz  Favorite— Harness  Renick,  Pickaway 
County 610 

Pink,  red-and-white  heifer  calf,  by  imp.  Duke  of  York 
(1941) ,  dam  imp.  Duchess  of  Liverpool— William  Trimble, 
Highland  County 575 

Duchess  of  Liverpool,  imported  in  1834,  but  unpedigreed — 

William  M.  Anderson,  Ross  County 570 

Lady  Paley,  red-and-white  heifer  calf,  by  Rantipole  (2478), 

dam  imp.  Flora — Alexander  Renick,  Ross  County 510 

Lilac,  red,  little  white,  yearling,  by  Rantipole  (2478),  dam 

Duchess  of  Liverpool— Elias  Florence,  Pickaway  County  425 

May  Flower,  red-and-white  heifer  calf,  by  Duke  of  York 

(1941),  dam  imp.  Matilda— B.  Harrison,  Fayette  County  405 

Lucy,  roan  calf,  pedigree  in  doubt — George  Radcliff,  Pick- 
away  County 405 


208        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Calypso,  red-and-white,  five  years  old,  imported  in  1834,  sired 

by  Bertram  (1716)— S.  McNeil,  Ross  County 325 

Lady  Blanche,  sold  as  doubtful  breeder — Charles  Davis, 

Ross  County 250 

Lady  Colling,  doubtful  breeder— J.  T.  Webb,  Ross  County. . .      205 

BULLS. 

Duke  of  Norfolk  (1939),  red-and-white  yearling,  imported, 

sired  by  Norfolk  (2377)— Robert  Stewart,  Ross  County. .  1,255 

Young  Waterloo  (2817),  roan,  three  years  old,  bred  by  Bates, 
of  Princess  blood— R.  D.  Lilley,  Highland  County,  for 
Gov.  Trimble  and  others 1,250 

Matchem  (2283) ,  roan,  five  years  old,  bred  by  J.  Woodhouse, 
sired  by  Imperial  (2151)— Renick,  Cunningham  and  War- 
field  of  Kentucky 1,200 

Greenholme  Experiment  (2075),  roan,  two  years  old,  bred  by 

Whitaker— James  M.  Trimble,  Highland  County :  1,150 

Duke  of  York  (1941),  red-and-white  three-year-old,  bred  by 
Whitaker,  got  by  Frederick  (1060)— R.  R.  Seymour,  Ross 
County 1,120 

Goldfinder  (2066),  roan  yearling,  bred  by  J.  Lawson,  sired  by 
Charles  (1815)— Renick,  Cunningham  and  Warfield  of 
Kentucky 1,095 

Nimrod  (2371) ,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  Mr.  Tempest,  sired  by 

Norfolk — Elias  Florence,  Pickaway  County 1,040 

Whitaker  (2836),  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  Whitaker,  sired 
by  Norfolk,  dam  Minna,  hence  own  brother  to  imp.  Jo- 
sephine— WilUam  M.  Anderson,  Ross  County 855 

Rantipole  (2478) ,  red-and-white  four-year-old,  bred  by  W.  F. 

Paley— Arthur  Watts,  Ross  County 810 

Logan  (2218),  roan  yearling,  by  Duke  of  York  (1941),  dam 

imp.  Young  Mary— J.  Renick 750 

Earl  of  Darlington  (1944), roan  three-year-old,  bred  by  Bates 

and  sired  by  Belvedere— B.  Harrison,  Fayette  County. .  710 

John  Bull  (2161),  red,  little  white,  bull  calf,  by  Earl  of  Dar- 
lington, dam  Gaudy— William  Renick  Jr.,  Ohio 615 

Duke  of  Leeds  (1938),  roan  yearling,  by  Norfolk  —  John 

Grouse,  Ross  County 575 

Windham  (2845) ,  red-and-white  yearling,  bred  by  Earl  Spen- 
cer—Charles Davis,  Ross  County 500 

Davy  Crockett  (3571),  roan  yearling,  recorded  as  from  imp. 

Young  Mary— Peter  Ayres,  Ohio 490 

Snow  Drop  (2654) ,  white  yearling,  by  Reformer  (2505) ,  dam 

Lily  of  the  Valley  of  the  Tees— Stewart  &  McNeil,  Ohio.  480 


DEVELOPMENT    OF    OHIO  VALLEY   HERDS.     209 

Independence  (2152),  roan  yearling,  by  Earl  of  Darlington, 

dam  imp.  Matilda— Hagler  &  Peterson,  Ross  County 400 

Commodore  Perry  (1859) ,  red  yearling,  by  Reformer,  dam 

imp.  Teeswater — W.  H.  Creighton,  Madison  County 400 

Goliah  (2068),  red  yearling  by  Earl  of  Darlington,  dam  imp. 

Calypso— Isaac  V.  Cunningham,  Scioto  County 300 

24  females  sold  for $19,545 ;  an  average  of $814.37 

19  bulls  sold  for 14,995 ;  an  average  of 789.20 

43  animals  sold  for 34,540 ;  an  average  of 803.25 

The  bulls  Reformer  and  Columbus  were  sold 
at  this  sale  as  "  unsound/7  and  as  they  there- 
fore commanded  a  low  price  they  are  not  in- 
cluded above.  The  company  made  a  present  to 
Felix  Renick  upon  this  occasion  of  the  roan 
six-months-old  bull  calf  Paragon  of  the  West 
(4649),  sired  by  imp.  Duke  of  York  (1941)  out 
of  imp.  Rose  of  Sharon.  This  was  a  graceful 
act  upon  the  part  of  the  stockholders,  as  the 
calf  was  regarded  as  perhaps  the  most  valu- 
able young  bull  in  the  possession  of  the  com- 
pany at  this  date.  Like  his  sire,  the  Duke  of 
York,  he  proved  a  very  superior  stock-getter, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1837  won  first  prize  as  a  year- 
ling at  the  Ohio  State  Fair  at  Columbus.  Rose 
of  Sharon's  daughter,  Lady  of  the  Lake,  pur- 
chased by  Mr.  Seymour,  proved  a  great  breeder. 
She  never  grew  into  a  large  cow,  but  was  ex- 
ceedingly neat,  with  a  very  handsome  head 
and  prominent  eyes.  She  was  of  a  deep-red 
color,  with  a  little  white  on  each  flank  and  star 
in  forehead.  She  was  sold  to  George  Renick, 
for  whom  she  bred  five  heifers,  to-wit.:  1838 — 

14 


210        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Rose  of  Sharon  2d;  by  Comet  Halley  (1855); 
1839 — Virginia,  red -arid- white,  by  Powhatan 
828^;  1840  —  Thames,  red,  by  Shakespeare 
(12062);  1842— Flora,  roan,  by  Shakespeare, 
and  in  1844  Lady  of  the  Lake  2d,  red-roan,  by 
Young  Shakespeare  1311.  All  of  these  heifers 
left  a  valuable  progeny,  some  of  which,  in  the 
hands  of  Abrain  Renick  of  Kentucky,  gained 
international  fame.  After  the  conclusion  of 
this  sale  the  imported  bull  Duke  of  Norfolk 
was  resold  to  Gov.  Vance  and  J.  H.  James1  of 
Champaign  County  for  $1,400. 

Final  sale  in  1837.— On  Oct.  24,  1837,  the 
company's  affairs  were  finally  closed  up  by  a 
sale  of  such  stock  as  still  remained  in  its  hands, 
which  consisted  at  that  date  of  the  animals 
sold  as  per  following  list: 

BULLS. 

Comet  Halley  (1855),  light  roan,  bred  by  John  Maynard; 
calv3d  December,  1832;  sired  by  Matchem  (2281),  dam  by 
Frederick  (1060)— George  Renick  and  others 12,500 

Acmon  (1606)  ,*  roan,  calved  1833 ;  bred  by  W.  Raine ;  by  Anti- 
Radical  (1642) ,  dam  Sally  by  Young  Rockingham  (2547) 
— M.  L,.  Sultivant  &  Co.,  Columbus,  O 2,500 

Hazlewood  (2098),  red-roan,  calved  April  9,  1836;  bred  by  W. 
F.  Paley ;  got  by  Norfolk  (2377)— Gov.  Trimble  and  R.  R. 
Seymour 700 

Powhatan  828>£,  red-and-white,  calved  Oct.  6, 1836 :  got  by 

imp.  Comet  Halley  out  of  imp.  Flora — Harness  Renick. .  500 

Bouncer  (3196),  roan,  calved  March  18,1836;  bred  by  Col. 
Cradock;  got  by  Magnum  Bonum  (2243) — John  Walk, 
Pickaway  County 450 

*Acmon  was  a  great  show  bull  and  also  proved  a  superior  stock-getter. 


DEVELOPMENT    OF    OHIO   VALLEY    HERDS.    211 


Santa  Anna,  roan,  calved  July  4,  1837;  got  by  imp.  Comet 
Halley  out  of  Lily  of  the  Valley  of  the  Tees— J.  C. 
Vance,  Ohio  Co.,  Va 425 

COWS  AND  HEIFERS. 

Elizabeth  (imported) ,  roan,  calved  in  1832 ;  bred  by  T.  Har- 
rison ;  got  by  Memnon  (2293) ;  and  calf — Gov.  J.  Vance 
and  William  Vance,  Champaign  County $1,450 

Flora  (imported),  roan,  seven  years,  by  son  of  Young  Al- 
bion (730)  — M.  L.  Sullivant,  Columbus 1,300 

Matilda  (imported),  red-and- white,  calved  April  12, 1831 ;  by 

Imperial  (2151)— Allen  Trimble,  Highland  County 1,220 

Arabella*  (imported),  red-and-white,  calved  March,  1834; 
bred  by  R.  Pilkington;  got  by  Victory  (5565) ;  and  calf— 
Dr.  Arthur  Watts,  Chillicothe 1,200 

Blush  (imported) ,  white,  calved  Jan.  10, 1835 ;  bred  by  Mr. 
Bowen;  got  by  Monarch  (2326) — John  H.  James,  Cham- 
paign County 1,015 

Emily  (imported),  "  necked,"  calved  Feb.  25,  1875;  by  Maxi- 

mus  (2284) ;  Asahel  Renick,  Pickaway  County 875 

Victress,  roan,  calved  Jan.  8,  1836;  get  (in  England)  by  Nor- 
folk (2377),  dam  imp.  Meteor  of  the  West— M.  L.  Sulli- 
vant, Columbus 700 

Charlotte  (imported),  roan,  calved  March,  1833;  bred  by  R. 
Pilkington;  got  by  Alderman  (1622)— J.  G.  White,  Ross 
County 630 

Fidelle  (imported),  roan,  calved  1830;  by  Adrian  (7720); 
bought  of  Whitaker,  and  the  dam  of  bull  Greenholme 

Experiment  in  the  sale  of  1836— Allen  Trimble 610 

6  bulls  sold  for $  7,075;  an  average  of $1,179.15 

9  females  sold  for 9,000 ;  an  average  of 1,000. 00~ 

15  animals  sold  for 16,075 ;  an  average  of 1,071.65 

This  was  a  period  of  great  expansion.  Values 
of  all  sorts  were  inflated  by  paper-currency  is- 
sues, and  cattle  shared  in  the  general  "  boom." 
Hence  the  great  prices  made  at  this  sale.  Allen 
speaks  in  his  "  History  of  the  Short-horns"  (page 

'Arabella  was  a  grand  cow  and  proved  a  great  breeder,  producing  for 
Dr.  Watts  many  fine  animals— among  others  the  twin  show  cows  Bessie 
Belle  and  Mary  Grey.  Her  son  Marshal  (41990)  was  used  by  George  Renick 
and  sired  many  fine  cattle. 


212        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

183)  of  the  stockholders  reaping  "a  large  profit 
on  their  investment,"  but  this  was  not  true  save 
in  the  case  of  a  few  of  the  minor  members  of 
the  association,  who  were  not  buyers  of  cattle.* 

Nearly  ail  the  capital  stock  subscribed  was 
repaid  in  cattle  at  high  prices.  Had  the  ani- 
mals been  resold  soon  the  shareholders  would 
have  made  a  good  profit,  but  most  of  them  were 
in  the  business  as  a  steady  pursuit  and  kept  the 
cattle  until  overtaken  by  the  great  depression 
that  soon  afterward  set  in.  George  Renick  in- 
vested more  liberally  than  any  other  one  stock- 
holder and  had  the  largest  herd,  but  his  sales  of 
surplus  stock  were  made  at  moderate  prices, 
and  in  1846  he  was  obliged  on  account  of  ad- 
vancing age  to  give  up  the  management  of  his 
landed  estates  and  his  entire  herd  was  offered 
at  auction.  "Hard  times"  prevailed,  however, 
at  that  period  and  but  one-half  the  cattle  were 
sold,  and  those  at  ruinous  figures.  The  other 
Renicks,  Gov.  Trimble,  Messrs.  Seymour,  Sulli- 
vant,  Vanmeter,  Watts,  et  al.,  had  also  to  be  con- 
tent with  moderate  returns  until  the  revival 
which  set  in  about  1850. 

The  prime  object,  however — the  providing  of 
material  for  the  improvement  of  the  Ohio  and 

*  Among1  these  was  a  well-known  capitalist,  Lyne  Starling  of  Columbus, 
who,  when  the  agent  of  the  company  called  after  the  last  sale  and  paid  him 
more  than  double  the  amount  of  his  investment,  was  amazed,  a,nd  told  Mr. 
Renick  that  he  had  intended  the  amount  as  a  contribution  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  cattle  of  the  country  and  had  never  expected  a  dollar  in  re- 
turn.—How.  T.  C.  Jones,  in  Breeder's  Gazette,  Sept.  7,  J6'«2. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  OHIO  VALLEY  HERDS.  213 

Kentucky  herds — had  been  attained,  and  in 
that  fact  the  enterprising  men  who  made  these 
memorable  importations  found  ample  compen- 
sation. Speaking  of  the  first  importation,  in  a 
letter  written  July  26,  1834,  Felix  Renick  said: 

"We  have  already  had  a  number  of  applications  to  purchase 
some  of  them  and  have  been  offered  1500  for  the  youngest,  a  calf 
less  than  five  months  old.  But  we,  as  a  company,  have  higher 
views  than  that  of  immediately  realizing  a  little  profit,  provided 
it  could  be  done.  The  object  was  first  conceived  and  has  so  far 
been  carried  out  for  the  good  of  the  country,  whether  it  has  been 
well  or  illy  executed  is  not  for  us  to  say." 

It  is  indeed  difficult  to  overestimate  the  value 
of  the  Ohio  Co.'s  work.  It  gave  to  the  West 
not  only  the  Rose  of  Sharons,  Young  Marys, 
Young  Phyllises  and  Josephines,  but  supplied 
crosses  of  fresh  blood  that  proved  powerful  in- 
fluences for  good  upon  the  herds  derived  from 
earlier  importations.  The  entire  industry  in 
Ohio  and  Kentucky  felt  the  quickening  touch, 
and  in  later  years  the  full  fruition  of  the  fond- 
est hopes  of  the  company  were  more  than  real- 
ized. 

Thomas  Bates  to  Felix  Renick. — The  Ohio 
Co.  had  meditated  a  continuation  of  its  impor- 
tations, but  the  financial  drift  of  the  times  was 
not  favorable.  In  December,  1837,  Felix  Ren- 
{ick  had  written  to  Mr.  Bates  in  reference  to 
further  purchases,  inquiring  particularly  about 
the  Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940).  While 
nothing  came  of  these  negotiations,  the  ap- 
pended reply  of  Mr.  Bates  is  given  in  full  as 


214        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

possessing  some  historic  interest.  The  itali- 
cized sentence  is  especially  characteristic  and 
shows  that  in  spite  of  all  his  claims  for  the 
Duchess  blood  Bates  was  fully  aware  of  the 
fact  that  it  was  the  Princess  bull  Belvedere 
that  really  made  his  herd.  We  quote: 

"KIRKLEVLNGTON,  April,  1838.—  I  think  it  on  the  whole  better 
not  to  send  you  any  of  my  own  cattle  this  season,  the  exchange 
being  so  much  against  you.  Next  year,  as  you  say  you  intend  to 
continue  importing,  I  might  furnish  you  with  ten  young  heifers  or 
young  cows  having  had  a  calf  or  two,  and  five  or  six  young  bulls, 
either  of  the  age  you  got  the  two  last  from  me  or  a  year  older. 

"The  Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940)  and  Short-tail  (2621)  are 
the  only  bulls  I  am  now  using,  and  their  stock  is  even  more  prom- 
ising than  that  of  their  sire  Belvedere  (1706).  The  four  you  got 
of  me  were  all  by  Belvedere,  and  all  my  stock  are  by  him  and  his 
sons.  After  the  trials  I  have  now  had  and  seen  of  Short-horns  for 
nearly  sixty  years  nothing  could  induce  me  to  use  any  bull  that 
had  not  Belvedere's  blood.  You  will  find  it  all  money  thrown  away  to 
buy  any  bull  that  has  not  sprung  from  him. 

"Twenty-eight  days  after  the  birth  of  the  Duke  of  Northum- 
berland (1940) ,  Brokenleg  (Duchess  34th) ,  whom  you  will  remem- 
ber, was  again  put  to  her  sire  Belvedere  and  brought  2d  Duke  of 
Northumberland.  She  has  since  brought  me  a  heifer  to  her  sire, 
and  is  now  I  expect  in  calf  to  Short-tail. 

"By  putting  Duke  of  York  (1941)  to  the  heifers  you  got  of  me 
you  will  bring  their  produce  into  disrepute.  I  will  on  no  consid- 
eration whatever  (if  you  would  give  me  ten  times  the  price  I 
would  otherwise  have  charged  you  for  a  heifer)  sell  you  any  heif- 
ers to  put  to  any  bulls  but  what  I  have  bred,  or  are  of  my  blood. 
Nor  will  I  sell  you  at  any  price  till  you  and  the  company  you  act 
with,  under  your  joint  hands,  have  solemnly  promised  not  to  do 
so.  My  object  has  never  been  to  make  money  by  breeding,  but  to 
improve  the  breed  of  Short-horns ;  and  if  I  know  it  I  will  not  sell 
any  to  anyone  who  has  not  the  same  object  in  view.  On  this  prin- 
ciple I  began  breeding,  and  I  am  convinced  I  have  a  better  breed 
of  Short-horns  in  my  possession  at  present  than  there  has  been 
for  the  last  fifty  years,  even  in  the  best  days  of  the  Messrs.  Col 
ling. 

"The  bull  you  ask  me  about  sending  you,  Duke  of  Northum- 
berland, is  evcrthing  I  can  wish  in  a  bull,  and  Short-tail  has  taken 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  OHIO  VALLEY  HERDS.  215 

after  2d  Hubback,  of  whom  his  dam  (Duchess  32d)  had  two  crosses. 
Short-tail's  sister  (Duchess  41st),  the  best  animal  in  my  posses- 
sion, I  expect  is  in  calf  to  the  Duke  of  Northumberland.  The  six 
from  which  your  two  were  taken  were  good ,  but  the  breed  of  the 
years  1835-6  were  far  superior  to  those  six,  though  very  good. 
Brokenleg  (Duchess  34th)  I  offered  you  at  100  guineas.  If  you 
were  to  send  twenty  times  that  sum  for  her  and.  her  produce  I 
would  not  take  it  now.  You  will  remember  I  told  you  after  buy- 
ing the  two  heifers  that  if  either  of  them  died  on  the  passage  or 
did  not  breed  when  you  got  them  home  I  would  give  you  the  two 
nearest  in  blood  to  them.  Now  (Red  Rose  13th)  a  sister  in  blood 
to  your  Rose  of  Sharon  (calved  since  you  were  here)  has  produced 
a  heifer  (2d  Cambridge  Rose)  to  her  sire  Belvedere ;  and  for  the 
two  I  would  not  take  1,000  guineas.  These  would  have  been  yours 
now  had  yours  not  bred.  I  will  not  sell  either  cow  or  calf,  but  I 
have  no  objection  to  sell  the  bulls  I  breed  from  them,  or  from  my 
Duchess  tribe,  which  are  far  better  animals  than  the  Red  Rose 
tribe.  I  will  not  part  with  the  females  of  these  tribes  at  present." 

Mr.  Clay's  importations  to  Kentucky. — In 

1836  and  1837  Mr.  H.  Clay  Jr.,  Fayette  Co.,  Ky., 
imported  eleven  head  of  Short-horns,  including 
the  bulls  Lord  Althorpe  658  and  Neptune  743, 
and  cows  Britannia  (roan),  Victoria  (white),  by 
Osgodley,  and  Crocus  (red-and-white),  by  Impe- 
rial (2151).  The  pedigrees  of  some  of  these 
cattle  were  imperfect  or  missing  entirely.  In 
1838,  in  connection  with  Gen.  James  Shelby, 
Mr.  Clay  made  a  further  importation,  consisting 
of  twelve  head,  including  the  bulls  Cossack,  alias 
Julius  Caesar  (3503),  Don  John  426,  and  cows 
Jane,  Dorcas,  Charity,  Nerissa,  Moss  Hose  by 
Eclipse,  Columbine,  Pet,  Vixen,  Princess  and 
Protectress.  The  bull  Cossack,  or  Julius  Caesar, 
above  mentioned,  was  a  roan,  bred  by  Mr.  Top- 
ham,  sired  by  Cossack  (1880),  bred  by  Richard 


216        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Booth  of  Studley,  dam  imp.  Moss  Rose  by 
Eclipse.  He  was  imported  as  a  calf,  was  after- 
ward sold  to  Benjamin  Warfield,  and  left  much 
good  stock.  At  a  sale  held  by  Mr.  Clay  at  Lex- 
ington in  the  fall  of  1839  eight  cows  and  heifers 
averaged  $420  each,  the  highest  price  paid  be- 
ing $835  for  a  two-year-old. 

Dr.  Martin's  importation  of  1839.— Dr.  Sam- 
uel D.  Martin  of  Clark  Co.,  Ky.,  who  had  been 
breeding  Short-horns  for  some  years,  in  1839 
sent  an  order  to  Mr.  Paley  for  a  shipment  of 
cattle.  Mr.  Paley  had  assisted  in  the  selections 
made  for  the  Ohio  Co.  and  filled  this  order  by 
sending  out  nine  head,  including  the  cows 
Jessy  (roan  of  A.  L.  Maynard's  breeding),  by 
Plenipo  (4724);  Beauty  (red-roan),  by  Laurel 
(2188);  Leonida  (red),  by  Red  Simon  (2499); 
Rosalie  (red-and-white),  by  Cadet  (1770),  dam 
Leonida,  just  mentioned;  Sprightly  (red-and- 
white),  by  Fitz  Roslyn  (2026),  and  Jessamine 
(roan),  by  Leoniclas  (4211)  out  of  imp.  Jessy, 
mentioned  above.  The  cow  Sprightly  gave 
birth  in  December,  1839,  to  a  pair  of  twin  bulls, 
afterward  recorded  as  Specie  (5289)  and  Specu- 
lation (5293),  both  bred  by  Mr.  Paley,  and  sired 
by  Mendoza  (4456).  Imp.  Beauty  produced  to 
an  English  service  the  red  bull  calf  Bullion 
(3240). 

R.  Hutchcraft's  importation. — Reuben  H. 
Hutchcraftof  Bourbon  Co.,  Ky.,  imported  seven 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   OHIO   VALLEY    HERDS.    217 

head  from  England  in  1839,  including  the  bulls 
Van  Buren  1062,  bred  by  Col.  Cradock  and 
sired  by  Magnum  Bonum  (2243)  and  the  year- 
ling Don  John  (3603).  The  females  included 
the  roan  yearling  heifer  Wild  Rose,  by  Chorister 
(3378),  bred  by  Mr.  Watkin;  the  red  cow  Har- 
riet, by  Grainford  (2044),  and  the  Magnum  Bonum 
heifers  Fatima,  Beda  and  Blossom — all  of  Col. 
Cradock's  breeding. 

Fayette  County  Importing  Co. — The  first 
"syndicate"  formed  in  Kentucky  for  the  pur- 
chase of  English  Short-horns  was  that  repre- 
sented by  the  Fayette  County  Importing  Co., 
which,  in  the  spring  of  1839,  sent  the  Rev.  R. 
T.  Dillard  and  Mr.  Nelson  Dudley  abroad  as 
agents.  They  bought  twenty-one  head  of  cows 
and  heifers  and  seven  bulls.  After  arrival  in 
Kentucky  the  cattle  were  placed  upon  the  farm 
of  David  Sutton,  near  Lexington,  and  in  July, 
1840,  were  sold  at  auction.  This  was  consid- 
ered a  very  superior  lot  and  included  such  fine 
bulls  as  Eclipse  (9069)  and  Carcase  (3285),  of 
S.  Wiley's  breeding.  Among  the  females  that 
afterward  gave  rise  to  good  families  of  Short- 
horns were  Victoria,  by  Plenipo;  Fashion  (dam 
of  heifer  calf  Zelia,  by  Norfolk);  Lady  Eliza- 
beth, by  Emperor;  Rosabella  2d,by  Velocipede, 
etc.  Indeed,  some  of  the  best  cattle  bred  in 
subsequent  years  in  Kentucky  and  the  West 
claimed  descent  from  this  selection,  and  on 


218        A   HISTORY   OF  SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

this  account  we  append  herewith  report  of  the 
sale: 

COWS  AND   HEIFERS. 

Victoria,  roan,  calved  August,  1835;  bred  by  J.  E.  Maynard, 

sired  by  Plenipo  (4724)— R.  Fisher $1,750 

Miss  Maynard,  roan,  calved  1837,  bought  of  A.  L.  Maynard, 

sired  by  Chorister  (3378)— A.  McClure 1,005 

Avarilda,  white,  calved  April,  1846 ;  bred  by  W.  F.  Paley, 

sired  by  Norfolk  (2377)— John  Allen 920 

Fashion,  roan,  calved  April,  1832 ;  bred  by  W.  Cooper,  sired 
by  Young  Don  Juan  (8610) ,  and  red-and-white  heifer  calf 
Zel'ia,  by  Norfolk  (2377)— F.  W.  Williams 885 

Miss  Luck,  roan,  calved  May  25,  1834 ;  bought  of  Mr.  Whit- 

aker,  fired  by  Allison's  Roan  Bull  (2999)  — H.  Clay  Jr . . . .  800 

Nancy,  white,  calved  Jan.  1, 1837 ;  sired  by  Reformer  (2510) 

— C.  J.  Rogers 730 

Tulip,  roan,  calved  1836,  bred  by  Mr.  Crofton,  sired  by  Bach- 
elor (1666)— A.  McClure 700 

Beauty,  roan,  calved  March,  1834 ;  bought  of  A.  L.  Maynard, 

sired  by  Belvedere  (1706)— H.  Clay  Jr 700 

Lady  Elizabeth,*  roan,  calved  Feb.  4, 1838 ;  bred  by  Mr.  Crof- 
ton, sired  by  Emperor  (1974)— H.  Clay  Jr 660 

Splendor,  roan,  calved  March,  1834 ;  bred  by  Mr.  Cattley, 

sired  by  Bedford  Jr.  (1701)— B.  Gratz 650 

Elizabeth,  roan,  calved  October,  1832 ;  bred  by  J.  E.  May- 
nard, sired  by  Plenipo  (4724)  —A.  McClure 505 

Rosabella  2d,  roan,  calved  January,  1839;  bought  of  Mr. 
Whitaker;  sired  by  Velocipede  (5552) ,  running  to  Col- 
ling's  Golden  Pippin— W.  A.  Warner 465 

Flora,  calf  of  imp.  Beauty— H.  Clay 410 

Lily,  white,  calved  1834 ;  bred  by  L.  Severs,  sired  by  Count 

(3506)— T.  Calmes .;. .....:.  390 

Britannia,  roan,  calved  February,  1838;  bred  by  Mr.  Crof- 
ton, sired  by  Emperor  (1974),  and  heifer  calf  Dido— II.  T. 
Duncan 375 

Isabella,  white,  calved  Oct.  14,  1839;  bred  by  T.  Crofton, 

sired  by  Melmoth  (2291)— R.  Fisher,  Boyle  County. .....  355 

*Lady  Elizabeth  was  an  exceedingly  well-bred  cow  and  proved  the 
ancestress  of  one  of  the  best  families  of  Short-horns  ever  bred  in  the  West- 
ern States.  The  branch  known  as  the  Nelly  Blys,  In  the  hands  of  Mr.  J.  H. 
Spears  of  Illinois  and  others,  acquired  national  reputation  for  their  uniform 
high  excellence. 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   OHIO  VALLEY   HERDS.    l 

Jessica,  roan,  calved  Feb.  22,  1839;  bought  of  Mr.  Maynard, 
sired  by  Velocipede  (5552)  out  of  imp.  Beauty  by  Belve- 
dere— Joel  Higgins „  330 

Maria,  heifer  calf  from  imp.  Elizabeth— J.  B.  Ford 810 

Miss  Hopper,  roan,  calved  1835;  bred  by  T.  Crofton,  sired  by 

Duke  (1935)— W.  T.  Calmes 270 

BULLS. 

Eclipse  (9069),  calved  April  26,  1837;  bred  by  Mr.  Arrow- 
smith  ;  sired  by  Velocipede  (5552)— R.  Fisher $1,050 

Carcase  (3285),  red-and-white,  calved  July,  1837;  bred  by  S. 
Wiley;  sired  by  Belshazzar  (1704)  — Benjamin  Gratz, 
Lexington 725 

Nelson  741,  white,  calved  Dec.  4,  1839;  bred  by  Mr.  Whita- 

ker;  sired  by  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax  (5196)— P.  Todhuntcr      610 

JEolus  200,  roan,  calved  April,  1836;  bred  by  Mr.  Rowland- 
son,  sired  by  Harlsey  (2091)— R.  Fisher 610 

Prince  Albert  2065,  roan,  calved  May  25,  1840 ;  bred  by  J.  E. 
Maynard ;  sired  by  Carcase  (3285)  out  of  imp.  Victoria 
by  Plenipo — J.  Flournoy 350 

Bruce  289,  bull  calf  from  imp.  Avarilda— M.  Williams 315 

Milton  713,  calf  o2  imp.  Miss  Maynard— James  Gaines ?S5 

19  females  sold  for $12,210;  an  average  of $642.60 

7  bulls  sold  for 3,945 ;  an  average  of „ .  563. 55 

26  animals  sold  for 16,155 ;  an  average  of 621.35 

From  the  above  it  appears  that  Fayette 
County  buyers  took  eight  head,  Bourbon,  Scott 
and  Mercer  Counties  five  each  and  Jessamine 
County  four.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  this  sale 
was  made  during  a  period  of  declining  values 
the  prices  obtained  were  excellent  and  dem- 
onstrated the  pluck  of  the  Kentucky  breeders 
of  that  day. 

Importations  into  Tennessee. — The  great 
interest  manifested  in  Short-horn  breeding  in 
Kentucky  extended  at  an  early  date  into  the 
neighboring  State  of  Tennessee,  and  a  few  cat- 
tle were  imported  into  that  State  prior  to  1840. 


220        A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Unfortunately  no  exact  data  exist  in  reference 
.to  these  selections.  It  is  known  that  in  1837 
Messrs.  Gordon  &  Bradford  of  Nashville  im- 
ported the  cow  Hibernia,  recorded  in  Vol. 
XXIV  of  the  American  Herd  Book.  She  was 
white  with  red  markings,  said  to  have  been 
bred  in  Ireland,  and  was  sold  soon  after  im- 
portation to  the  Shakers  of  South  Union,  Ky. 
About  the  same  date  Mr.  Harvey  Hill  of  New 
Orleans  imported  and  sent  to  his  farm  in  Ten- 
nessee the  roan  heifers  Gentle,  by  Cupid  (7941). 
Lady  Littleton  (white),  by  Ranunculus  (2479), 
and  Mild  Spring,  that  were  sold  to  Mark  R. 
Cockrill  of  Nashville.  Messrs.  Shelby  &  Wil- 
liams of  Nashville  imported  the  heifers  Agnes 
and  Buttercup  (the  former  calved  in  1835  and 
the  latter  in  1836)  and  the  bulls  Champion  and 
Cassius.  These  latter  were  without  pedigrees 
so  far  as  the  records  show. 

Mr.  B.  Letton  imported  in  1840  into  Ten- 
nessee the  young  cows  Beauty,  Spot  and  Cow- 
slip. Beauty  calved  the  white  Aqua,  and  Spot 
the  red-and-white  Neptune  at  sea.  An  un- 
named roan  and  a  red-and-white  heifer  were 
included  in  this  same  shipment.  All  were 
without  herd-book  record.  Some  five  years 
previous  a  Mr.  Murdock'had  imported  the  red- 
and-white  Bella,  by  Silkworm  (5129),  and  cow 
Rebecca — bred  by  Sir  John  Kennedy — together 
with  the  bulls  Murdock  and  Silkworm — both 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  OHIO  VALLEY  HERDS.  221 

roans.  Bella  was  pedigreed  and  passed  into 
the  possession  of  M.  R.  Cockrill.  t 

William  Neff  's  importation. — In  June,  1838, 
William  Neff,  a  public-spirited  and  wealthy 
business  man  residing  in  Cincinnati,  imported 
into  Ohio  the  roan  cows  Blossom,  by  Belshaz- 
zar  (1704);  Catherine,  by  Eastthorpe  (1947); 
Strawberry  (of  Booth  blood),  by  Ambo  (1636); 
and  bulls  Prince  William  1390,  Cincinnatus  and 
Clifford — the  former  roan  and  the  latter  white. 
To  this  list,  as  given  by  Mr.  Warfield,  Judge 
Jones  adds  the  roan  heifer  Lady  Anne,  by  Mag- 
num Bonum  (2243),  and  states  that  she  was  a 
great  dairy  cow,  giving  thirty-two  quarts  of 
milk  per  day  for  two  months  in  succession. 
The  Judge  also  states  that  Mr.  Neff  imported 
the  roan  bull  Berryman  (3143),  but  Mr.  War- 
field  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  Lady 
Anne  and  Berryman  were  imported  by  Mr.  Jo- 
siah  Lawrence  of  Cincinnati,  and  in  addition 
states  that  Lawrence  also  imported  in  1838  the 
heifers  Juno,  Fortuna,  Adelaide,  Empress  and 
Verbena. 

Wait  and  other  importations, — In  1839  Sam- 
uel Wait  imported,  via  New  Orleans,  Duchess, 
by  Studley  Royal  (5342);  Rosebud,  bred  by  John 
Booth  of  Killerby,  sired  by  Harlsey  (2091);  Lily 
of  the  Tees,  by  Belvedere  2d  (3126);  Pretender 
(4756),  bred  by  Lord  Feversham;  Velocipede 
11098,  Cleveland  (3405)  and  Liverpool.  Mr. 


222 


A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 


Warfield  states  that  these  cattle  were  sold  to 
Messrs.  Shirley  &  Birch  of  Louisville,  Ky.  In 
1840  Mr.  Wait  made  another  importation,  con- 
sisting of  the  two  bulls,  Macadam  1814  and 
Anty  (3021),  and  eight  cows,  Ellen  Long,  by 
Beaumont  (3115);  Hebe,  by  a  son  of  High- 
flyer (2122);  Victoria  (or  White  Rose),  by 
Matchem  4th;  Pink,  by  Belvedere  2cl  (3127); 
Flora,  by  Imperial  (2151);  Splendour,  bred  by 
Mr.  Cattley  and  sired  by  Symmetry  (2723), 
and  Daisy,  by  Barnaby  (1678).  It  is  said  that 
most  of  these  cows  were  imported  for  Mr.  S. 
Bradford  of  Tennessee.  Splendour  is  said  to 
have  been  sold  to  Mr.  E.  P.  Prentice  of  New 
York  in  1839.  Daisy  passed  into  the  possession 
of  the  Shakers  of  Kentucky.  Messrs.  Wait  & 
Bagg  also  imported  about  this  same  time  the 
roan  bull  Albion  (2971),  bred  by  E.  Lawson  and 
sired  by  Charles  (3343).  The  pedigrees  of  some 
of  these  cattle  seem  to  have  been  perfect  and 
others  were  not.  Mr.  Warfield  says:  "  So  many 
errors  and  blunders  have  been  found  in  the  ped- 
igrees of  the  cattle  imported  by  S.  Wait  that  it 
is  deemed  necessary  to  state  that  they  should 
be  examined  with  great  care." 

In  1837  the  bull  Grosvenor  (3946),  tracing  to 
a  Booth  foundation,  was  imported  for  Mr.  Mi- 
chael Boyne,  and  the  bull  Sovereign  995,  with 
heifer  Strawberry,  by  Magnum  Bonum,  for 
Messrs.  R.  Jackson  and  John  Hodgson;  presum- 


DEVELOPMENT   OF   OHIO  VALLEY   HERDS.    223 

ably  in  connection  with  the  Ohio  Co.'s  opera- 
tions. 

About  1840  Messrs.  Joel  Higgins  and  Calvin 
C.  Morgan  imported  into  Fayette  Co.,  Ky.,  five 
heifers  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Chrisp,  as  follows: 
Mary  and  Theodosia,  both  by  Prince  Eugene 
(2C43);  Henrietta,  by  Bed  Prince  (2489);  Ele- 
anor, by  Brougham  (1746),  and  Princess  (or 
Anne),  by  Captain  (3273);  the  first  four  roans 
and  the  latter  red. 

First  Bates  bull  for  Kentucky. — Between 
the  years  1839  and  1841  James  Letton  of  Bour- 
bon Co.,  Ky.,  imported  several  females  and  two 
bulls,  one  of  the  latter  being  Locomotive  (4245), 
bred  by  Mr.  Bates  and  sired  by  Duke  of  North- 
umberland (1940)  out  of  the  Oxford  Premium 
Cow.  This  bull  was  a  half-brother  to  Duke  of 
Wellington  (3654),  imported  by  Mr.  Vail  of  New 
York.  Mr.Warfield  lists  the  Letton  importation 
as  having  been  made  in  1 839.  The  Albany  Cul- 
tivator for  July,  1841  (page  120),  is  our  authority 
for  the  statement  that  Locomotive  arrived  in 
New  York  May  20,  1841,  so  that  we  believe  our 
statement  on  page  230,  that  Duke  of  Wellington 
was  the  first  Oxford  bull  bought  for  Amer- 
ica, to  be  correct.*  For  Locomotive  the  sum  of 

*  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Letton  had  seen  the  Bates-Oxford  bull  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington, bought  by  George  Vail,  land  at  New  York,  and  was  so  favorably 
impressed  that  upon  learning  that  Duke  had  a  half-brother  (Locomotive, 
that  had  been  bought  of  Mr,  Bates  by  J  C.  Etches  of  Liverpool  for  100  guin- 
eas) he  determined  to  buy  him.  This  he  did,  and  the  bull  (Locomotive) 
proved  a  successful  prize-winner  in  Kentucky. 


224        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

$1,225  was  paid  in  England.  He  became  the 
property  of  W.  T.  Calmes  of  Fayette  Co.,  Ky., 
upon  whose  farm  he  died.  Among  the  cows 
imported  by  Mr.  Letton  was  the  red-roan 
lanthe,  by  Barforth  (3085),  that  gave  rise  to  a 
numerous  family.  Another  that  had  many  de- 
scendants was  Miss  Severs,  by  Reformer  (2510). 


CHAPTER    IX. 


EASTERN  IMPORTATIONS  — 1830  TO  1850, 

While  the  farmers  and  stock-growers  of  the 
Ohio  Valley  States  were  making  substantial 
progress  in  the  improvement  of  their  herds,  as 
"noted  in  the  preceding  chapter,  large  infusions 
of  fresh  blood  from  England  were  introduced 
into  New  York  and  Pennsylvania.  The  more 
important  importations  made  into  these  and 
adjacent  States,  contemporaneous  with  and 
following  the  important  operations  of  Colonel 
Powel  already  mentioned,  will  now  be  noted. 

New  York  importations. — Mr.  Wm.  Jackson 
imported  into  New  York  between  the  years 
1833  and  1840  the  roan  cows  Duchess,  by  Ebor 
(996);  Rose,  by  Skipton,  and  Miss  Scotson.  The 
former  was  sold  to  Messrs.  Wasson  &  Shropshire 
and  Rose  to  N.  L.  Lindsey  of  Kentucky.  The 
latter  had  numerous  descendants,  among  which 
were  many  excellent  cattle,  but,  as  her  sire 
was  not  pedigreed,  these  shared  more  or  less  in 
the  discredit  that  was  cast  in  later  years  upon 
cattle  tracing  to  animals  having  such  defects 
in  their  lineage.  Jackson  also  imported  the 
bulls  Magnet  and  Dimples  421,  the  latter  being 

15  (225) 


226        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

taken  by  Mr.  Brent  to  Bourbon  Co.,  Ky.,  in 
1835. 

Around  1834  to  1836  Thomas  Weddle  im- 
ported about  fifteen  head  of  Short-horns,  most 
of  which  were  females.  Some  of  these  were 
pedigreed  and  some  were  not.  Among  the  ped- 
igreed cows  were  Daisy  and  Crocus,  both  by 
Romulus  (2563);  Primrose,  by  Pioneer  (1321), 
and  Buttercup,  by  Sir  Walter  (1459).  Primrose 
was  bought  at  Mr.  Weddle's  sale  of  1838  by 
Gen.  James  Dudley  of  Fayette  Co.,  Ky.  The 
roan  bull  Charles  (1816),  bred  by  the  Earl  of 
Carlisle  and  sired  by  Rockingham  (2550)  of  the 
Weddle  importation,  was  taken  to  Kentucky 
the  same  year  by  Gen.  Dudley.  Allen  states 
that  Mr.  Weddle  was  an  Englishman,  who  had 
emigrated  from  Yorkshire  into  Western  New 
York  and  brought  these  cattle  with  him.  He 
states  that  they  were  all  well-bred  Short-horns, 
chiefly  from  the  well-known  herd  of  Major 
Bower. 

In  1835  Samuel  Allen  is  said  to  have  imported 
into  New  York  the  roan  cow  Rachel  of  Mr. 
Whitaker's  breeding  on  the  same  ship  that 
brought  out  one  of  the  Ohio  Co.'s  iu2f>O, Nations. 
Although  her  pedigree  was  misLaic!  she  was 
guaranteed  a  purely-bred  S.\ert-horn  and  gave 
(when  in  full  flow  of  milk  on  ^asture)  twenty- 
eight  quarts  per  day.  Mr.  Allen  also '  rought  out 
at  same  time  the  roan  cow  Miss  Lawrence,  said 


EASTERN    IMPORTATIONS. 

to  have  been  bred  by  Richard  Booth  at  Stud- 
ley.  Her  pedigree  was  also  lost,  but  she  is  said 
to  have  been  a  prize-winner  as  a  dairy  cow  in 
England  before  being  shipped,  and  after  her 
arrival  in  America  gave  thirty-four  quarts  of 
rich  milk  per  day  on  grass  alone.  She  was  sold 
in  1839  to  N.  0.  Baldwin  of  Cleveland,  0.  A 
third  cow  in  this  same  shipment  was  the  white 
Miss  Mellon,  that  became  the  property  of  Lewis 
F.  Allen,  founder  of  the  American  Herd  Book. 
She  was  also  an  excellent  milker,  producing, 
Mr.  Allen  states,  for  weeks  in  succession  twelve 
pounds  of  butter  per  week. 

In  1836  Messrs.  Edward  A.  Leroy  and  Thomas 
H.  Newbold  of  Livingston  Co.,  New  York,  im- 
ported three  heifers  and  the  bull  Windle  185. 
The  heifers  were  Venus,  by  Magnum  Bonum; 
Dione,  by  Monarch,  and  Netherby,  by  the  same 
sire.  About  1836  Peter  A.  Remsen  of  Genesee 
County  imported  the  red  bull  Alexander  4,  of 
Mr.  Maynard's  breeding,  and  several  cows  and 
heifers,  including  Adelaide,  Pretty  Face,  La- 
vinia  and  White  Rose.  He  bred  from  these 
for  several  years,  and  after  disposing  of  some 
of  them  in  New  York  removed  with  the  re- 
mainder to  Maryland,  where  they  were  finally 
dispersed.  About  1838  Mr.  John  F.  Sheaffe  es- 
tablished a  Short-horn  herd  at  his  farm  and 
country  residence  In  Duchess  County,  on  the 
Hudson  River.  He  started  with  cattle  de- 


228        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

scended  from  the  early  New  England  importa- 
tions. To  these  he  added,  soon  after  1840,  the 
cows  Phoebe  1st,  Dahlia  1st  and  Beauty  1st,  but 
the  pedigrees  of  these  are  imperfectly  stated. 
He  subsequently  imported  the  roan  cow  Ser- 
aphina,  by  Wharf  dale  (1578),  and  the  red-and- 
white  bull  Duke  of  Exeter  449 — the  latter  bred 
by  J.  Stephenson  of  Wolviston.  This  bull  is 
said  to  have  proved  a  capital  sire.  He  is  de- 
scribed as  an  animal  possessing  remarkable 
quality  and  subsequently  passed  into  the  pos- 
session of  Lewis  F.  Allen.  Mr.  Sheaffe  bred 
cattle  until  Aug.  29,  1850,  when  his  herd  was 
dispersed  at  public  sale.  Between  the  years 
1840  and  1843  James  Lenox  of  New  York,  who 
owned  a  fine  country  seat  adjoining  that  of 
Mr.  Sheaffe,  imported  three  cows  and  two  bulls, 
including  Daffodil,  Red  Lady  and  Gayly,  and 
the  bulls  Prince  Albert  133  and  King  Charles 
2d  84  —  bred  by  Jonas  Whitaker.  The  two 
bulls  and  one  of  the  females  were  sired  by  the 
noted  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax  (5196).  Between 
the  years  1835  and  1841  Mr.  E.  P.  Prentice  of 
Albany  imported  eight  or  ten  head  of  Short- 
horns, which  were  placed  upon  his  villa  farm 
near  that  city.  He  had  founded  his  herd  with 
stock  bought  from  the  early  importations  of 
General  Van  Rensselaer  already  mentioned. 
Among  the  females  imported  were  several  from 
the  herd  of  Mr.  WhitaKer,  including  Esterville, 


EASTERN    IMPORTATIONS.  229 

by  Alfred  (2987),  and  Moss  Rose,  by  Harden. 
He  maintained  the  herd  until  1850,  when  it 
was  dispersed  at  public  sale. 

In  1836  Erastus  Corning  of  Albany,  in  connec- 
tion with  Mr.  W.  H.  Sotham,  who  later  be- 
came an  active  advocate  of  Herefords,  made 
an  importation  consisting  of  seven  females 
and  three  bulls.  One  of  the  cows,  the  roan 
Wilddame,  by  Anthony  (1640),  proved  a  very 
successful  breeder,  and  left  many  descendants 
whose  pedigrees  may  be  found  in  the  American 
Herd  Book.  She  was  from  the  stock  of  Mr.  W. 
Lovell,  from  whose  herd  Mr.  Corning  also  ob- 
tained the  heifers  Mary,  Ifcbel,  Cherry,  Pet, 
Cleopatra  and  Venus.  The  bulls  Columbus 
(5869),  also  from  Mr.  Lovell's  herd,  and  Ashley 
(3045)  were  imported  along  with  these  heifers. 
About  1846  a  Mr.  Oliver  of  Westchester  County 
imported  the  bull  Marius  684,  a  roan,  bred  by 
Earl  Spencer  from  Mason  stock.  He  was  sold 
to  Col.  L.  G.  Morris,  who  exhibited  him  at  the 
New  York  State  Fair  at  Buffalo  in  1848,  at 
which  show  he  was  sold  to  David  Harrold  of 
South  Charleston,  0.,  in  which  State  he  did  ex- 
cellent service  for  some  years. 

Vail's  purchases  of  Bates  cattle. —  Some- 
where about  the  year  1835  Mr.  George  Vail  of 
Troy,  New  York,  became  enamored  of  Short- 
horn breeding  and  established  a  herd  at  his 
country  seat  near  that  city.  Between  the  years 


A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

1839  and  1844  he  imported,  in  connection  with 
Mr.  S.  P.  Chapman,  about  fifteen  head  of  cat- 
tle. In  1840  he  bought  from  Thomas  Bates, 
through  Mr.  Etches  of  Liverpool,  the  roan  bull 
calf  Duke  of  Wellington  (3654),  that  was  sired 
by  the  Duchess  bull  Short  Tail  (2621)  and  had 
for  dam  the  noted  Oxford  Premium  Cow,  win- 
ner at  the  first  show  ever  held  by  the  Royal 
Agricultural  Society  of  England.  This  purchase 
constituted  the  earliest  importation  of  the 
Duchess  and  Oxford  blood  into  this  country.* 
Mr.  Vail  also  bought  from  Mr.  Bates  a  cow 
called  Duchess,  although  not  belonging  to  the 
family  of  that  name.  She  was  a  white  daugh- 
ter of  Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940)  out  of 
Nonesuch  2d  by  Belvedere  (1706).  This  cow 
produced  the  two  bulls  Meteor  104  and  Sym- 
metry 166,  both  by  Duke  of  Wellington,  but 
died  without  leaving  female  progeny.  Mr.  Vail 
showed  a  marked  partiality  for  Bates  blood  and 
subsequently  imported  the  red  heifer  Lady  Bar- 
rington  3d,  bred  by  Mr.  Bates  from  Cleveland 
Lad  (3407)  out  of  Lady  Barrington  2d  by  Bel- 
vedere (1706).  From  Messrs.  Thomas  and  Rob- 
ert Bell,  tenants  of  Mr.  Bates,  he  obtained  the 

*  It  may  be  of  some  interest  to  state  that  from  an  entry  in  the  Kirklev- 
ingrton  accounts,  bearing-  date  of  June  3,  1840,  it  appears  that  Mr.  Vail  paid 
for  Duke  of  Wellington  and  Duchess  the  sum  of  £200.  It  appears  from  a 
letter  written  by  Mr.  Bates  to  Mr.  Vail  in  184:5  that  100  guineas  each  was  be- 
ing asked  for  such  cattle  as  Bates  was  willing1  to  spare.  In  this  same  letter 
Bates  adds.  "  The  tribes  of  really  g-ood  Short-horns  are  very  few.  I  have 
tried  myself  above  two  hundred  varieties.  Out  of  these  I  have  but  six 
tribes  which  I  do  not  mean  to  part  with." 


EASTERN    IMPORTATIONS.  231 

roan  Hilpa,  by  Cleveland  Lad  (3407);  the  roan 
Yarm  Lass,  by  4th  Duke  of  York  (10167);  the 
red-and-white  Cecilia,  by  3d  Duke  of  Northum- 
berland; the  roan  Agate,  by  3d  Duke  of  York 
(10166),  running  .on  the  dam's  side  to  Acomb 
by  Belvedere;  the  red-and-white  Arabella,  also 
an  Acomb,  sired  by  4th  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land (3649);  the  roan  Frantic,  by  4th  Duke  of 
York  (10167);  Boukie  (red-roan),  by  4th  Duke 
of  York,  tracing  on  dam's  side  to  Craggs,  a  cow 
obtained  by  Messrs.  Bell  from  Mr.  Bates;  and 
the  roan  bull  Earl  Derby  456,  by  5th  Duke  of 
York  (10168)  out  of  Lady  Harrington- '4th. 

Prior  to  Mr.  VaiFs  purchases  of  Bates-bred 
Short-horns  about  the  only  specimens  of  Kirk- 
levington  breeding  seen  in  the  United  States, 
had  been  the  few  brought  out  during  the  course 
of  the  Ohio  Co.'s  importations.  Mr.  Vail  was 
an  enthusiast  in  Short-horn  breeding  and  ex- 
hibited with  success  at  the  York  State  shows  of 
that  period.*  He  made  an  effort  to  be  present 


'Writing-  to  Mr.  Bates  in  1847  Mr.  Vail  said:  "I  sent  my  bull  Meteor  to 
the  show  for  exhibition  only  at  the  request  of  some  friends,  as  he  had  taken 
the  first  premium  for  the  best  Durham  bull  in  1844,  as  well  as  the  first  prize 
for  bull  of  any  breed.  The  bull  Marius,  bred  by  Earl  Spencer,  justly  took 
first  premium  in  Durham  bulls.  The  judges  in  their  report  on  these  said: 
•The  justly  celebrated  bull  Meteor,  belonging  to  Mr.  George  Vail,  was  on 
the  ground  for  exhibition  only,  being  excluded  from  competing  at  present. 
We  think  he  stands  unrivaled.'  *  *  *  I  suppose  there  were  30,000  or  40,000 
persons  present,  among  them  many  of  the  first  men  in  the  country  and  two 
ex-Presidents  of  the  United  States.  *  *  *  .  Mr.  A.  B.  Allen  of  New  York, 
whom  you  know,  is  continually  urging  me  to  get  a  young  Duchess  bull 
from  you.  I  would  much  like  one,  but  at  present  dare  not  venture  the  e?> 
peiise.  *  *  *  Meteor  is  in  some  respects  a  finer  animal  than  Wellington. 
He  is  better  in  the  hind  quarters  and  across  the  hips.  Wellington  has  rot 


232        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

at  the  closing-out  sale  of  the  Bates  herd  in  Eng- 
land, but  the  event  occurred  at  an  earlier  date 
than  he  had  anticipated,  so  that  he  did  not  ar- 
rive until  the  sale  was  over.  He  had  mean- 
time bought  the  herd  of  Mr.  Prentice,  but  soon 
afterward  gave  up  breeding;  his  herd  being  sold 
in  October,  1852. 

Whitaker's  shipments  to  America. — Un- 
doubtedly the  most  active  man  in  England  in 
connection  with  shipments  to  America  during 
the  period  from  1820  to  1840  was  Jonas  Whit- 
aker.  He  had  not  only  sold  quite  a  number  of 
cattle  to  the  early  New  York  and  Massachusetts 
importers  as  already  detailed,  but  had  supplied 
Col.  Powel  of  Philadelphia  with  many  first-class 
cattle.  He  had  also  been  largely  instrumental 
in  the  selection  of  the  importations  made  by 
the  Ohio  Co.  and  its  individual  members.  Im- 
pelled by  the  high  prices  made  at  the  Ohio  Co.'s 
sales  Mr.  Whitaker  determined  to  try  the  ex- 
periment of  exporting  Short-horns  to  America 
to  be  offered  for  sale  on  his  own  account.  The 
first  shipment  was  made  in  August,  1837,  the 
cattle  being  placed  upon  the  farm  of  Col.  Powel. 
This  lot  consisted  of  fifteen  bulls  and  nineteen 
cows  and  heifers.  Whitaker  was  always  a  good 

a  broad  hip  and  is  rather  thin  across  the  twist.  His  fore  end  cannct  be 
beat.  He  is  a  superior  handler,  as  is  also  Meteor.  The  latter  weig-hs  2,200 
IDS.  and  Wellington  will  weigh  nearly  1,900  Ibs.  Meteor  would  take  high 
rank  even  in  your  country.  *  *  *  Our  county  show  took  place  last  week 
and  was  the  best  we  have  had.  I  was  equally  successful  in  winning1  pre- 
miums here  as  at  the  State  show.  Hilpa  took  the  first  prize," 


EASTERN    IMPORTATIONS.  233 

"keeper,"  and  these  animals  were  forwarded  in 
good  condition ;  and  as  they  were  well  bred  and 
their  coming  had  been  widely  advertised  they 
attracted  much  attention,  and  when  offered  at 
auction  drew  the  presence  of  a  great  attend- 
ance not  only  from  the  States  of  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania  but  from  the  then  distant  cattle- 
breeding  districts  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  The 
sale  occurred  at  Powelton  in  September,  1837, 
the  bulls  averaging  $353,  the  cows  $480,- and 
the  total  sales  aggregating  $14,215.  Among 
those  sold  upon  this  occasion  were  the  follow- 
ing: 

Clarksville,  by  Lottery  (2227),  a  roan  two-year-old  heifer, 
bought  by  Mr.  Neff  for  $630  and  subsequently  sold  to  John  tladley 
of  Clinton  Co.,  O.,  in  which  State  she  gave  rise  to  a  considerable 
family. 

Young  Isabella,  a  red-and-white  cow,  bred  by  Richard  Booth, 
sired  by  Memnon  (2295)  out  of  the  celebrated  Isabella  by  Pilot. 
She  was  bought  by  C.  J.  Wolbert  of  Philadelphia  for  1405. 

Profitable,  roan,  two-year-old  heifer,  sired  by  Young  Ebor 
(3682),  sold  to  Mr.  Neff  of  Cincinnati  for  1550. 

Ruth,  red-and-white  six-year-old,  bred  by  Richard  Booth  and 
belonging  to  the  old  Killerby  Moss  Rose  family,  also  sold  to  Mr. 
Neff  at  $460. 

Beauty,*  red-and-white  four-year-old,  bred  by  Mr.  Tempest, 
sired  by  De  Veaux  (1916),  running  through  Bertram  (1716)  and 
Frederick  (1060)  to  Ceiling's  old  Bright  Eyes  sort.  This  cow  was 
likewise  purchased  by  Mr.  Neff  at  $540. 

*From  imp.  Beauty  was  descended  the  great  family  of  show  and  breed- 
ing-cattle  known  as  "  Profitables,"  afterward  famous  in  Ohio  in  the  hands  of 
the  late  David  Selsor,  from  whose  herd  many  splendid  individual  Short- 
horns of  that  tribe  were  sold  throughout  various  Western  States.  There 
was  at  one  time  an  effort  made  to  discredit  this  family  on  account  of  alleged 
inability  to  trace  the  lineage  direct  to  imp.  Beauty.  The  breeding  was, 
however,  certified  to  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Jones,  who  boxight  the  cow  Profitable  2d 
from  Mr.  Neff.  See  reference  to  this  in  Breeder's  Gazette,  Sept.  14, 1882. 


234        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE, 

Lucilla,  roan  four-year-old,  by  Edmund  (1954) ,  also  bought  by 
Mr.  Neff  and  resold  to  Benjamin  Scott  of  Kentucky. 

Brutus  31,  roan  yearling  bull,  bred  by  Whitaker,  bought  by 
Mr.  Neff  for  $330. 

Bruce  (3233) ,  red  yearling  bull,  bred  by  Whitaker,  bought  by 
Mr.  Rotch  of  New  York  for  $360. 

Miser  (2323) ,  white  yearling  bull,  bred  by  Whitaker,  bought  by 
Mr.  Cunningham  for  $470. 

While  these  prices  were  not  altogether  sat- 
isfactory to  Mr.  Whitaker  he  sent  out  another 
considerable  shipment  in  1838  or  1839  that  were 
also- sold  near  Philadelphia.  In  this  lot  were 
twenty-two  cows  and  heifers  and  six  bulls. 
They  were  sold  at  sales  held  in  the  years  1838 
and  1839,  but  accurate  records  as  to  what  be- 
came of  many  of  the  cattle  have  not  been  pre- 
served. There  are  in  fact  few  descendants  of 
the  females  included  in  these  last  shipments  on 
record  in  this  country.  One  exception  to  this 
may  be  noted,  however,  in  the  case  of  the  roan 
Victoria,  by  Luck's  All  (2230),  of  Mr.  Cattley's 
breeding,  that  was  bought  at  the  sale  by  Mr. 
George  Brinton  for  $520.  This  was  about  the 
highest  price  made  at  the  last  sales,  values  rang- 
ing sharply  downward  from  about  that  figure. 
The  depression  which  was  at  this  date  begin- 
ning to  settle  down  upon  American  industries 
militated  against  success  in  these  operations  of 
Mr.  Whitaker  and  he  made  no  further  ship- 
ments. 

Introduction  of  Princess  blood. — Mr.  VaiPs 
importations  had  the  effect  of  drawing  public 


EASTERN   IMPORTATIONS. 


235 


attention  to  the  herd  of  Mr.  Bates,  and  in  the 
year  1849  Mr.  Ambrose  Stevens  of  Batavia, 
N.  Y.,  went  to  England  with  a  letter  of  intro- 
duction to  Bates  from  Vail  and- purchased  for 
importation  the  roan  bull  3d  Duke  of  Cam- 
bridge (5941),  then  eight  years  old,  sired  by  the 
Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940)  out  of  Water- 
loo 2d  by  Belvedere.  This  bull  represented  a 
union  of  the  Duchess,  Princess  and  Waterloo 
tribes,  and  after  his  arrival  in  America  an  in- 
terest in  him  was  sold  to  Col.  J.  M.  Sherwood 
of  Auburn,  N.  Y.  Along  with  the  Duke  Mr. 
Stevens  brought  out  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Ste- 
phenson  of  Wolviston  the  roan  yearling  heifers 
Princess  2d,  by  General  Sale  (8099),  and  Prin- 
cess 3d,  by  Napier  (6238),  together  with  Red 
Rose  2d,  a  red  four-year-old  cow  by  Napier. 
These  were  the  first  representatives  of  the  tribe 
of  Belvedere  to  be  transferred  to  American 
soil.  Red  Rose  2d  was  sold  to  Col.  Sherwood. 
She  was  a  capital  dairy  cow,  and  it  is  recorded 
that  "she  made  forty-nine  pounds  of  butter  in 
twenty-five  consecutive  days  in  May  and  June, 
1851,  when  four  years  old  with  her  second  calf." 
Mr.  Stevens  brought  out  in  1849,  as  a  calf,  the 
Princess  bull  Lord  Vano  Tempest  (10469)  and 
sold  him  to  Col.  Sherwood. 

In  1850  Messrs.  Stevens  and  Sherwood  im- 
ported the  two-year-old  Princess  bull  Earl  of 
Seaham  (10181),  of  Stephenson's  breeding,  that 


236        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

was  afterward  sold  to  Rev.  John  A.  Gano,  Ken- 
tucky. The  Earl  also  proved  a  successful  stock- 
getter.  Along  with  him  were  imported  the  cows 
Princess  4th,  by  Napier;  Waterloo  5th  and  Wild 
Eyes  5th,  both  of  Bates  blood,  but  they  died 
without  issue.  The  red  Princess  bull  Wolvis- 
ton  1109  was  also  included  in  this  shipment, 
and  was  sold  after  importation  to  William  Ash- 
ton  of  Gait,  Can.  In  1851  Messrs.  Stevens  and 
Sherwood  imported  the  Princess  bull  calf  Earl 
Vane  (14483)  and  the  five-year-old  cow  Princess 
1st,  by  Napier.  The  following  year  the  roan 
Princess  heifer  Lady  Sale  2d,  by  Earl  of  Chat- 
ham (10176),  and  the  roan  four-year-old  Prin- 
cess cow  Tuberose  2d,  by  Earl  of  Antrim 
(10174),  were  brought  out.  Red  Rose  2cl,  Tube- 
rose 2d  and  Lady  Sale  2d  became  the  matrons 
of  the  Princess  tribe  in  America,  and  in  later 
years  their  descendants  commanded  enormous 
prices  as  a  result  of  the  great  appreciation  in 
values  of  Bates-bred  Short-horns.  This  w;as  of 
course  due  to  the  fact  of  the  great  success  met 
with  by  Mr.  Bates  in  the  use  of  Belvedere. 

Miscellaneous  importations. — In  1835  Mr. 
Harmer  Denny  of  Pittsburg  imported  the  red- 
and-white  yearling  bull  Young  Buckingham 
(1758),  a  roan  two-year-old  heifer  and  her  sire, 
a  bull  called  Architect;  the  two  latter  not  being 
fully  pedigreed.  These  were  selected  in  Eng- 
land by  Rev.  John  A.  Robertson.  During  the 


EASTERN    IMPORTATIONS. 


237 


same  year  R.  D.  Shepherd  of  Baltimore,  Md., 
imported  nine  females  and  six  bulls,  some  of 
which  were  without  pedigrees.  Several  of  the 
cows,  Including  Lucrece,  Haidie  and  Diana, 
were  sold  to  Hon.  Henry  Clay  and  taken  to  Ken- 
tucky. In  1837  or  1838  William  Gibbons  of 
Madison,  N.  J.,  imported  the  roan  bull  Majestic 
(2249),  bred  by  Mr.  Crofton,  the  roan  Arthur 
(3040)  and  the  white  cow  Volage;  both  of  the 
latter  bred  by  Whitaker.  In  1838  Dr.  John  A. 
Poole  of  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  imported  the  white 
yearling  bull  Bernard  19,  descended  from  Mag- 
dalena,  by  Comet,  and  the  cows  Maria,  Fanny 
and  Barmpton  Cow.  In  1839  Joseph  Cope  of 
Pennsylvania  bought  at  Kirklevington  the  roan 
bull  Yorkshireman  (5700),  bred  by  Bates  and  be- 
longing to  his  Blanche  tribe;  paying  for  him 
something  over  £100.  In  1839  Daniel  Holman 
imported  the  red-and- white  three-year-old  cow 
Jane,  bred  by  G.  L.  Ridley  and  sired  by  Young 
Magog  (2247).  We  should  also  note  the  ship- 
ment of  the  roan  cow  Violet,  by  Regent  (2517), 
along  with  the  bulls  Young  Rocket  (4979)  and 
Rubens  (2573)  to  H.  Whitney  of  Connecticut 
about  1840.  Also  the  importation  by  William 
Whitney  of  Morristown,  N".  J.,  about  the  same 
date  of  the  twin  heifers  Cornelia  and  Harriet, 
by  Birmingham  (3152),  and  their  dam,  the 
roan  Ringlet,  by  Belshazzar  (1704),  of  the  Earl 
of  Carlisle's  breeding. 


CHAPTER    X. 


SECOND  PERIOD  OF  ACTIVITY   IN 
AMERICA. 

During  the  decade  from  1840  to  1850  a  pro- 
found depression  overtook  American  agricultu- 
ral industries.  The  outburst  of  activity  in  live- 
stock improvement  that  had  found  manifesta- 
tion in  the  new  West  during  the  "thirties"  in 
the  operations  of  the  first  Ohio  and  Kentucky 
importing  companies,  was  followed  by  ten  or 
twelve  years  of  declining  values  and  waning 
interest  in  all  things  agricultural.  Importa- 
tions ceased.  Discouraged  by  the  absence  of 
demand  for  good  cattle,  leading  breeders  reluc- 
tantly castrated  many  well-bred  young  balls 
that  should  have  been  doing  service  in  the 
herds  of  the  farming  community.  Large  num- 
bers of  good  cows  and  heifers  were  fed  off  for 
the  shambles.  Pedigree  records  were  in  many 
cases  neglected.  *  In  this  way  many  descend- 
ants of  the  importations  already  noted  disap- 
peared from  view.  As  has  been  true,  however, 
during  all  such  trying  times,  certain  men  who 
knew  that  history  never  fails  to  repeat  itself 
stood  steadfastly  by  the  "red,  white  and  roans/' 

(238) 


SECOND   PERIOD   OF   ACTIVITY.  239 

firm  in  the  belief  that  the  tide  would  some  day 
turn.  And  so  it  did. 

Soon  after  1850  the  clouds  that  had  settled 
over  the  industry  during  the  twelve  years  pre- 
ceding began  to  break.  The  price  of  meats 
advanced  under  a  renewed  domestic  demand 
and  the  opening  up  of  foreign  markets  for 
grains  and  provisions.  Those  who  had  tena- 
ciously held  their  ground  in  cattle  breeding  dis- 
cerned signs  of  better  days  near  at  hand  and 
began  taking  steps  to  recruit  their  herds  up  to 
the  former  standard.  We  now  enter  upon  a 
most  interesting  period  of  Short-horn  history; 
a  period  characterized  by  remarkable  activity 
on  the  part  of  powerful  interests;  a  period  that 
witnessed  the  founding  of  the  great  herds  at 
Woodburn  and  Thorndale;  the  organization 
of  numerous  importing  companies  in  Kentucky, 
Ohio  and  New  York,  and  that  also  marks  the 
extension  of  Short-horn  breeding  into  Indiana, 
Illinois  and  other  Western  States. 

The  first  "Duke"  for  America.— Mr.  Loril- 
lard  Spencer  of  New  York  imported  in  the  year 
1851  or  1852  the  red  Bates  Duchess  bull  Duke 
of  Athol  (10150),  that  had  been  sold  at  the  Kirk- 
levington  sale  of  1850  as  a  calf  to  Mr.  Parker 
of  Penrith  for  forty  guineas.  Along  with  him 
came  the  young  bull  Augustus  (11125)  and 
Woldsman  (11026),  together  with  the  heifers 
Sonsie  8th,  by  2d  Cleveland  Lad;  Faraway,  by 


240        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

3d  Duke  of  Oxford,  and  Jean,  by  Chevalier. 
He  bred  from  these  for  a  few  years  and  pos- 
sessed a  few  other  Short-horns  bought  from 
New  York  State  breeders.  He  maintained  the 
herd,  however,  but  a  short  time. 

Morris  and  Becar.— Col.  L.  G.  Morris  and 
Noel  J.  Becar  of  New  York  attended  the  dis- 
persion sale  of  the  herd  of  Thomas  Bates  in  May, 
1850,  as  repoiied  on  page  111,  and  after  looking 
over  the  cattle  determined  to  invest  in  the  Ox- 
ford blood.  Three  cows  and  heifers  of  the  fam- 
ily that  gave  Mr.  Bates  his  Liverpool  Royal 
Champion  Cleveland  Lad  fell  to  their  bidding, 
viz. :  The  roan  five-year-old  Oxford  5th,  by  Duke 
of  Northumberland;  the  red-and-white  year- 
ling Oxford  10th,  by  3d  Duke  of  York  (10166), 
and  her  full  sister,  the  roan  heifer  calf  Oxford 
13th.  Col.  Morris  took  the  cow  and  the  year- 
ling, and  Mr.  Becar  the  calf.  Subsequently  Col. 
Morris  bought  the  roan  cow  Beauty  of  Brawith 
(of  B.  Wilson's  breeding);  the  red-roan  Bloom, 
by  the  Booth-bred  Sir  Leonard  (10827),  and 
Romelia,  a  roan,  by  Flageolet  (8130).  He  also 
purchased  the  red-and-white  Bates-bred  Balco 
(9918),*  by  4th  Duke  of  York  (10167)  out  of 
Wild  Eyes  15th  by  4th  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land (3649),  the  first  of  that  tribe  to  come  to 
America;  Lord  of  Ery holme  (12205),  a  roan  of 


*  At  a  later  period  Balco  passed  into  the  possession  of  Gen.  Sol  Meredith 
of  Cambridge  City,  Ind. 


SECOND   PERIOD    OF   ACTIVITY.  241 

A.  L.  Maynard's  breeding;  Marquis  of  Carrabas 
(11789),  a  roan,  bred  by  Fawkes  of  Farnley 
Hall,  and  the  Bell-Bates  bull  Billy  Pitt  (9967). 
The  roan  Romeo  (13619),  bred  by  the  Marquis 
of  Exeter,  was  bought  on  joint  account,  and 
afterward  proved  a  valuable  "outcross"  upon 
the  Oxfords. 

Mr.  Becar  was  a  Frenchman  who  had  emi- 
grated when  a  young  man  to  the  city  of  New 
York,  where  he  established  himself  as  a  mer- 
chant, which  occupation  he  for  many  years  suc- 
cessfully pursued.  He  married  an  American 
wife,  whose  family  held  large  possessions  of 
land  on  Long  Island.  He  imported  on  his  indi- 
vidual account  some  sixteen  head  of  cows  and 
heifers  between  the 'years  1850  and  1854.  In- 
cluded among  these  were  the  Bates-bred  Oxford 
6th,  Lady  Barrington  12th  and  Apricot.  The 
shipment  also  included  the  Secret  heifer  Sur- 
prise and  the  white  cow  Songstress,  the  first  of 
the  Gwynne  family  (closely  allied  to  the  Prin- 
cesses) imported  to  America.  This  lot  also  in- 
cluded the  roan  cow  Actress,  by  Harkaway 
(9184),  that  was  subsequently  sold  to  the  Hon. 
John  Wentworth  of  Chicago,  111.  This  impor- 
tation is  notable  also  as  having  contained  the 
first  specimen  of  the  Mason  Victorias  brought 
to  this  country — namely,  Victoria  26th,  bred  by 
Mr.  Holmes  of  Ireland  and  sired  by  the  Booth 
bull  Baron  Warlaby  (7813).  Two  roan  heifers 

16 


242        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

from  noted  English  herds  were  Zoe,  bred  by 
Mr.  Tanqueray,  and  Miss  Belleville,  bred  by 
Mason  Hopper  and  sired  by  the  "never-beaten" 
Belleville  (6778).  The  former  was  the  earliest 
representative  of  the  "  J"  branch  of  the  Prin- 
cess sort  imported. 

The  Earl  Ducie  sale  in  England.— While 
Messrs.  Morris  and  Becar  were  making  these 
purchases  an  event  that  was  destined  to  exer- 
cise an  extraordinary  influence  upon  Short-horn 
breeding  on  both  sides  of  the  water  occurred 
in  England.  This  was  the  closing-out  sale  of 
the  herd  of  Earl  Ducie,  at  Tortworth,  which 
took  place  Aug.  24,  1853,  as  a  consequence  of 
the  Earl's  decease.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
at  the  Bates  dispersion  sale  Ducie  had  bought 
the  4th  Duke  of  York,  Duchess  55th,  Oxford 
6th,  Duchess  59th,  Duchess  64th  and  Oxford 
llth.  He  bred  Duchess  59th  to  Usurer  (9763) 
—the  Mason-bred  bull  for  which  he  paid  400 
guineas  at  the  sale  of  the  Earl  Spencer  cattle 
in  1848.  The  white  Duchess  67th  resulted,  but 
she  seemed  so  unpromising  that  Lord  Ducie  is 
said  to  have  considered  that  the  cross  was  a 
failure  and  stated  that  he  would  never  again 
"  outcross  "  the  Duchesses  and  Oxfords.  At  the 
Tortworth  sale  Messrs.  Becar  and  Morris  were 
represented  and  secured  Duchess  66th  and  the 
red  three-year-old  bull  Duke  of  Gloster  (11382), 
by  Grand  Duke  (10284).  For  Duchess  66th 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY.  248 

they  were  forced  to  pay  700  guineas — the  top 
price  of  the  sale.  She  was  a  roan,  coming 
three  years  old,  sired  by  4th  Duke  of  York 
(10167)  out  of  Duchess  55th,  and  became  the 
ancestress  in  America  of  the  far-famed  Oneida, 
Geneva  and  Thorndale  branches  of  the  Bates 
Duchess  tribe;  the  sale  of  which,  at  New  York 
Mills  in  1873  proved  the  most  sensational  event 
in  Short-horn  history. 

This  Ducie  sale  was  also  attended  by  Messrs. 
Samuel  Thorne  and  F.  M.  Rotch  of  New  York. 
Mr.  Thorne  was  in  quest  of  Short-horns  for  his 
father,  Jonathan  Thorne  of  Dutchess  County, 
and  purchased  Duchess  59th,  Duchess  64th  and 
Duchess  68th.  For  these  he  gave  350  guineas, 
600  guineas  and  300  guineas  respectively.  Had 
it  not  been  for  the  bidding  of  Mr.  J.  S.  Tanque- 
ray  and  Gunter  of  Gloucestershire  the  Ameri- 
can buyers  would  have  taken  all  of  the  Duch- 
esses. It  was  the  competition  between  the  Old 
World  and  the  New  that  resulted  in  such  high 
prices  as  compared  with  those  made  at  Kirk- 
levington  three  years  previous.  The  six  head 
of  cattle  for  which  Earl  Ducie  had  paid  £955 
10s.  upon  that  occasion  brought  at  Tortworth 
£2,052  15s.  This  sale,  it  may  be  said,  fairly 
marked  the  beginning  of  what  is  known  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic  as  the  great  Bates  "boom." 
Duchess  55th  at  50  guineas,  Oxford  6th  at  205 
guineas, Oxford  llth  at  250  guineas,  Oxford  16th 


244        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

at  180  guineas  and  Duchess  69th  at  400  guineas 
were  bought  by  Mr.  Tanqueray;  Mr.  Gunter  pur- 
chasing Duchess  67th,  by  Usurer,  af  350  guineas, 
and  Duchess  70th  at  310  guineas.  The  Earl  of 
Burlington  bought  Oxford  15th  at  200  guineas, 
and  the  Earl  of  Feversham  took  5th  Duke  of 
Oxford  (12762)  at  300  guineas.  The  4th  Duke 
of  York  (10167)  was  bought  by  Gen.  Cadwalla- 
der  and  Mr.  Vail  of  New  York  at  500  guineas, 
but  did  not  live  to  reach  America,  his  neck  hav- 
ing been  broken  during  a  storm  at  sea. 

Thorndale  and  the  Duchesses. — Mr.  Becar 
having  died  in  1854  Col.  Morris  purchased  his 
interest  in  the  partnership  herd,  and  after  sell- 
ing quite  a  number  of  young  bulls  to  various 
breeders  in  different  States  disposed  of  the  en- 
tire holding  to  Mr.  Samuel  Thorne  of  Thorn- 
dale  Farm,  Duchess  Co.,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Thome's 
father,  Jonathan  Thorne  of  New  York  City, 
owned  an  extensive  farm  at  Millbrook,  which 
is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family.  This 
was  in  1857.  In  the  year  1850  Mr.  Thorne  Sr. 
had  sent  an  order  to  his  son  Edwin,  who  was 
then  in  England,  for  a  Short-horn  bull.  A  pair 
of  cows  had  previously  been  purchased  from 
Mr.  Vail  of  Troy.  Tho  order  was  filled  by  the 
purchase  and  forwarding  of  the  bull  St.  Law- 
rence (12037),  bred  by  Capt.  Pelham.  This  bull 
was  afterward  sold  to  Dr.  E.  Warfield  and  taken 
to  Kentucky  in  the  autumn  of  1853.  In  1852 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY. 


245 


Mr.  Thorne  received  on  an  order  he  had  given 
to  Robert  Bell  the  two  Bell-Bates  heifers  Count- 
ess (Craggs)  and  Forget-me-not  2d  of  Bell's 
Fletcher  family.  He  also  bought  from  Mr. 
Tanqueray  the  young  cow  Ellen  Gwynne,  bred 
by  Mr.  Troutbeck. 

In  the  spring  of  1853  Mr.  Samuel  Thorne,  in 
company  with  Mr.  F.  M.  Rotch,  sailed  for  Eng- 
land to  purchase  Short-horns,  their  intention 
being  to  buy  the  best  that  could  be  found  with- 
out reference  to  cost.  They  attended  the  Ducie 
sale,  at  which  Duchesses  59th,  64th  and  68th 
were  selected.  From  Mr.  S.  E.  Bolden  they  se- 
cured the  Duchess  bull  Grand  Duke  (10284), 
that  had  been  purchased  by  Mr.  Hay  of  Scot- 
land at  the  Kirklevington  dispersion  at  the  top 
price  of  205  guineas,*  and  the  roan  heifer  Peri, 
by  Grand  Duke.  From  Tortworth  the  red 
G wynne  cow  Mystery,  by  Usurer,  was  obtained. 
Col.  Towneley's  breeding  was  drawn  upon  for 
Frederica  and  Lalla  Rookh.  The  red  cows  Au- 
rora and  Darling  (the  latter  an  Acorn b  by  Grand 
Duke),  mainly  of  Bates  blood,  completed  the 
purchases  of  cattle  brought  out  in  1853.  Duch- 

*Mr.  Bolden  had  bought  at  the  Bates  sale  Duchess  51st,  as  a  doubtful 
breeder,  at  sixty  guineas.  He  bred  her  first  to  Richard  Booth's  Leonidas 
(10414),  but  the  calf  came  dead.  Bred  to  Grand  Duke,  Duchess  oist  gave  Mr 
Bolden  the  celebrated  Grand  Duchesses  1st  and  2d,  the  ancestresses  of  the 
family  of  that  name.  In  this  connection  it  is  of  interest  to  note  that  Grand 
Duke  had  not  been  regarded  as  a  satisfactory  sire  in  Mr.  Hay's  herd  at 
Shethin,  but  there  was  no  mistaking  the  outstanding  excellence  of  such  of 
his  get  at  Mr.  Bolden's  as  the  Grand  Duchesses.  Cnerry  Duchess  1st  and  2d 
Duke  of  Cambridge 


'246        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ess  64th  was  left  in  England  until  the  following 
year,  and  in  the  meantime  dropped  to  a  service 
by  4th  Duke  of  York  the  bull  calf  2d  Grand 
Duke  (12961),  which  under  an  arrangement  pre- 
viously entered  into  became  the  property  of  Mr. 
Bolden.  This  shipment  of  1853  had  cost  Mr. 
Thome  the  snug  sum  of  $18,000,  thus  making 
it  the  highest-priced  lot  of  Short-horns  im- 
ported to  America  up  to  that  date.  The  vessel 
upon  which  they  were  shipped  in  October  of 
that  year  had  a  tempestuous  passage.  Duchess 
68th  was  killed  outright  by  the  falling  of  a  mast 
and  Peri  had  a  hip  knocked  down,  two  ribs 
broken  and  lost  one  horn.  She  nevertheless 
bred  successfully  and  gave  rise  to  a  family  bear- 
ing her  name  that  afterward  commanded  long 
prices. 

In  1854  Mr.  Thorne  imported  nine  females, 
including  Agnes,  Cypress,  Cherry  and  Constan- 
tia— all  by  B.  Wilson's  Lord  of  Brawith  (10465) 
—Lady  Millicent  (from  Fawkes),  by  Laudable; 
Diana  Gwynne,  Dinah  Gwynne  and  (from  Tan- 
queray's)  the  Bates  Barrington  heifer  Lady  of 
Athol.  In  the  fall  of  1855  the  bull  2d  Grand 
Duke  (12961),  above  mentioned,  was  bought 
from  Bolden  for  $5,000  to  succeed  Grand  Duke 
(10284).  An  accident  had  rendered  the  latter 
practically  useless,  bat  he  was  not  slaughtered 
until  1857.  With  2d  Grand  Duke  was  shipped 
in  1855  the  Killerby-bred  Booth  bull  Neptune 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY.  247 

(11847),  by  Water  King  (11024)  out  of  Bloom 
by  Buckingham;  second  dam  the  celebrated 
Hawthorne  Blossom.  At  the  sale  of  Sir  Chas. 
Knightley  in  1856  Mr.  Thorne  bought  the  cows 
Blouzelind  and  Mrs.  Flathers,  both  by  Earl  of 
Dublin,  and  Elgitha,  by  Balco.  This  gave  him 
a  dip  into  the  most  noted  dairy  strain  of  the 
day  in  England.  From  Col.  Towneley  he  bought 
the  two  heifers  Miss  Buttercup,  by  the  cele- 
brated Master  Butterfly  (13311),  and  Buttercup 
2d,  by  Horatio  (10335).  These  five  cattle  cost 
over  $5,000.  From  other  sources  he  obtained 
Darlington  6th,  Maria  Louisa  and  Dewdrop. 

In  1857  the  entire  Morris  &  Becar  herd,  con- 
sisting at  that  date  of  fifty-three  head,  was  pur- 
chased for  $35,000.  This  gave  Thorndale  a  vir- 
tual monopoly  of  the  Duchess  and  Oxford  blood 
in  America  and  an  investment  in  Short-horns 
mounting  well  up  toward  $100,000.  Opera- 
tions of  such  magnitude  did  not  fail  to  create 
more  or  less  of  a  sensation  in  cattle-breeding 
circles  on  both  sides  the  Atlantic.  During  this 
same  year  Mr.  Edwin  Thorne,  then  in  England, 
bought  and  sent  out  to  his  brother  Samuel  the 
bull  Grand  Turk  (12969),  bred  by  Bolden,  rep- 
resenting a  cross  of  Grand  Duke  (10284)  on  the 
Booth  cow  Young  Rachel  by  Leonard  (4210). 
It  thus  appears  that  Thorndale  drew  upon  the 
most  noted  strains  of  the  breed,  besides  impart- 
ing an  impetus  to  the  trade  in  England  and 


248        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

America  that  permeated  the  entire  industry 
and  influenced  in  marked  degree  the  work  of 
leading  breeders  at  home  and  abroad  for  many 
succeeding  years. 

Revival  of  interest  in  the  West.— It  was  a 
trying  ordeal  the  business  passed  through  in 
Ohio  and  Kentucky  during  the  "forties."  Lit- 
tle more  than  butchers'  prices  could  be  real- 
ized. At  the  time  the  George  and  Jonathan 
Renick  herds  were  offered  (1844-1846)  not  more 
than  $130  could  be  obtained  for  the  best.  The 
value  of  the  blood  had  been  fully  demonstrated, 
but  farmers  generally  were  financially  unable 
to  avail  themselves  of  it  save  at  extremely  low 
prices.  The  large  landed  proprietors,  however, 
maintained  their  herds  and  manifested  their 
interest  by  exhibiting  stock  at  the  various  local 
fairs.*  By  1850  times  had  brightened,  and  the 
Ohio  State  Agricultural  Society  held  its  initial 
show  near  Cincinnati,  Harness  Renick  winning 


*  In  a  report  of  the  Ross  County  Fair  for  1849,  in  the  Ohio  Cultivator,  it  is 
said  that  "  the  Durham  Short-horns  were  exhibited  in  all  their  sleekness 
and  beauty.  These  are,  very  justly,  the  pride  of  the  principal  farmers  and 
herdsmen  of  the  Scioto  Valley.  We  have  never  seen  better  animals  of  this 
class  than  were  exhibited  on  this  occasion  from  the  herds  of  Geo.  Renick, 
Dr.  A.  Watts,  J  R.  Anderson,  Alexander  Renick,  etc.  As  a  whole  it  ex- 
celled in  quality  the  show  of  this  breed  at  either  of  the  New  York  fairs." 

The  report  gives  the  weights  of  several  Short-horn  bullocks  on  exhibi- 
tion; among1  them  a  steer  of  Dr.  Watts,  three  years  old  in  April,  weighed, 
Oct.  5,  2,200  Ibs. ;  pne,  two  years  in  February,  weighed,  Oct.  5, 1,730  Ibs.  From 
the  herd  of  George  Renick  a  bulloek  of  "great  perfection  of  form,"  five 
years,  weighed  2,800  Ibs.  Six  others,  only  three  years,  weighed  1,850, 1,750, 
1,720, 1,680, 1,670  and  1.664  Ibs.  These  cattle  had  not  been  forced  as  is  the 
modern  practice,  having  only  good  grass  in  summer. — Hon.  T  C>  Jones,  in 
Breeder's  Gazette,  Oct.  5,  1882. 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF   ACTIVITY.  249 

first  prize  on  Sterling  1004 — tracing  to  imp. 
Blossom  by  Fitz-Favorite — in  aged-bull  class, 
and  Mr.  Poage  first  on  Lilac — a  descendant  of 
imp.  Duchess  of  Liverpool — in  aged  cows.  The 
modern  system  of  training  for  show  had  not 
at  that  date  come  into  vogue.  It  should  be 
mentioned  before  proceeding  further  that 
shortly  after  the  settlement  of  Walter  Dun's 
estate,  in  Kentucky,  his  sons  John  G.,  James, 
Walter  A.  and  Robert  G.  located  upon  their 
father's  extensive  estates  in  Madison  Co.,  0., 
taking  with  them  a  lot  of  good  Short-horns 
descended  from  their  father's  importation  al- 
ready mentioned.  The  bull  Comet  (1854)  was 
used  by  the  Messrs.  Dun  in  Ohio  as  late  as  1845 
and  was  an  excellent  getter. 

With  the  return  of  better  times  the  Ohio 
breeders  manifested  renewed  interest  in  their 
herds.  In  1852  trade  had  revived  to  such  an 
extent  that  it  was  determined  to  make  a  fresh 
importation  from  England.  Eighteen  years 
had  elapsed  since  the  first  purchase  by  the  old 
Ohio  Co.,  and  breeders  were  anxious  to  ascer- 
tain as  to  what  progress  had  been  made  in  the 
improvement  of  the  breed  in  England  during 
that  period.  The  project  took  definite  form  by 
the  organization  of  the 

Scioto  Valley  Importing  Co. — The  veteran 
Dr.  Arthur  Watts  a*id  Mr.  George  W.  Renick, 
son  of  Felix  Renick,  were  appointed  agents,  and 


250        A  HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  result  of  their  journey  was  the  purchase 
and  importation  of  ten  bulls  and  seven  females 
that  were  sold  at  auction  at  the  farm  of  Dr. 
Watts,  near  Chillicothe.  Stockholders  had  the 
privilege  of  bidding  and  took  most  of  the  cat- 
tle at  high  prices.  The  sale  list,  with  some 
particulars,  follows:" 

BULLS. 

Nobleman  (13392),  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  J.  Wood;  a 
bull  of  marked  excellence— Hon.  John  I.  Vanmeter,  Pike 
County 12,510 

Count  Fathom  (11316) ,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  F.  H.  Fawkes ; 
got  by  Lord  Marquis  (10459) ;  proved  a  very  successful 
sire— N.  Perrill,  Clinton  County 2,075 

Master  Belleville  (11795) ,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  J.  M. 
Hopper ;  sired  by  the  show  bull  Belleville  (6778)  and  de- 
scribed as  "  a  grand,  rangy  bull  and  the  sire  of  a  large 
number  of  fine  Short-horns,  including  Billy  Harrison 
263,  the  prize  bull  Master  Miller,  etc." — Messrs.  Renick 
and  Maypool 2,005 

Lord  Nelson  664,  red-roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  R.  Thorn- 
ton—John L.  Meyers,  Fayette  County  1,825 

Gamboy  (11503) ,  red-and-white,  bred  by  F.  H.  Fawkes ;  trac- 
ing to  the  Booth  cow  Isabella  by  Pilot— M.  L.  Sullivant, 
Columbus 1,400 

Rising  Sun  5130,  roan  bull  calf,  bred  by  Mr.  Wetherell— 

Isaac  Cunningham,  Scioto  County 1,300 

Alderman  (9882),  roan  three-year-old,  bred  by  R.  C.  Lown- 
des;  afterward  became  the  property  of  Jacob  Pierce 
and  used  for  some  years  in  his  fine  herd — Hon.  Alex. 
Waddle,  Clark  County 1,150 

Isaac  589,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  R.  Thornton ;  a  low, 
compact  bull  of  fine  quality,  a  good  feeder  and  capital 
sire ;  second-prize  bull  at  the  Ohio  State  Fair,  1854 — 
Messrs.  Gregg  and  J.  O'B.  Renick,  Pickaway  County. . .  600 

Young  Whittington  1165,  roan  yearling;  afterward  owned 
by  Messrs.  Brown  of  Sangamon  Co.,  111.— Arthur  Watts, 
Chillicothe . .  450 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY.  251 

COWS  AND  HEIFERS. 

Mary,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  J.  Emerson ;  by  Lord  of 

the  Manor  (10466)—  Hon.  A.  Waddle $1,650 

Sunrise,  red,  by  Twilight  (9758)—  Hon.  John  I.  Vanmeter, 

Pike  County 1,230 

Blue  Bonnet,  roan  two-year-old,  by  Earl  of  Antrim  (10174) ; 
a  large,  stylish  cow  of  superior  quality  and  a  great 
milker ;  dam  of  prize  bulls  Master  Miller  693,  Winfield 
1107  and  a  valuable  progeny  of  females — P.  W.  Renick, 
Pickaway  County 1,225 

Moss  Rose,  roan  six-year-old,  bred  by  J.  W.  Parrington; 
sired  by.  Ravens  worth  (9487) ;  afterward  became  the 
property  of  Jacob  Pierce,  in  whose  hands  she  dropped 
the  show  cow  Mattie  by  Nobleman  (13392)— Hon.  Alex. 
Waddle,  Clark  County 1,200 

Raspberry,  roan  two-year-old,  sired  by  Banker  (11136) ;  a 
fine  cow  that  in  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Gregg  and  J.  O'B. 
Renick  was  champion  female  at  the  Ohio  State  Fair,  at 
Newark,  in  1854,  afterward  becoming  the  property  of 
James  M.  Trimble,  in  whose  hands  she  produced,  among 
other  good  things,  the  cow  Maggie  Trimble,  dam  of  Air- 
drie  2d  11267,  used  in  the  prize  herd  of  J.  R.  Anderson, 
Ross  County— George  W.  Gregg,  Pickaway  County 1,110 

Strawberry,  roan  cow,  bred  by  R.  Thornton ;  sired  by  Post 

Master  (9487)— George  W.  Renick,  Ross  County 1,000 

Enchantress,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  Mr.  Thornton; 
grew  into  a  cow  of  superior  quality  and  produced  the 
fine  bull  Noble  753— Harness  Renick,  Pickaway  County.  900 

9  bulls*  sold  for $13,315 ;  an  average  of $1,479.45 

7  females  sold  for 8,315 ;  an  average  of 1,187.85 

16  animals  sold  for 21,630;  an  average  of 1,351.85 

The  prices  which  the  stockholders  were  wil- 
ling to  pay  for  these  cattle  inspired  fresh  con- 
fidence on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  in  the 
following  year  several  other  importing  compa- 
nies were  organized. 

*  The  red-roan  bull  Adam  (12338),  bred  by  J.  Clark,  of  this  Importation 
was  out  of  condition  and  not  sold.  He  became  the  property  of  M.  L.  Sulll- 
vant  and  was  noted  for  his  wonderful  coat  of  hair.  Mr.  Harness  Beriick's 
prize  heifer  Agatha,  of  the  Blossom  tribe,  was  one  of  his  get. 


252        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Madison  Co.  (0.)  Co.— In  1853  the  Madison 
Co.  (0.)  Importing  Co.  was  formed.  Messrs. 
Charles  Phellis,  B.  B.  Browning  and  Mr.  Farrar 
were  appointed  agents  and  selected  from  the 
English  herds  fjfteen  bulls  and  nine  cows, 
which,  after  the  usual  plan  of  these  companies, 
were  sold  at  auction.  The  event  occurred  Sept. 
27  at  London,  Madison  County,  the  result,  to- 
gether with  a  few  notes  upon  the  more  noted 
animals,  being  as  indicated  below.  From  this 
it  will  appear  that  prices  now  mounted  to  a 
still  higher  range  than  had  yet  been  attained: 


Starlight  (12146),  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  R.  Lawson; 
sired  by  Lansdowne  (9277),  dam  Beauty  by  Mussulman 
(4524) .  This  bull  was  kept  upon  the  farm  of  James  Ful- 
lington,  in  Union  County,  for  many  years  and  was  one 
of  the  best  sires  ever  used  in  the  State.  Though  a  first- 
prize  bull  at  the  State  Fair  of  1854,  Starlight  was  not  a 
first-class  show  bull.  His  strong,  masculine  front,  with 
broad  and  massive  brisket,  were  quite  imposing,  and  the 
length  of  his  fore  ribs  gave  a  chest  of  unusual  capacity. 
He  had  a  good  back  and  loin,  but  his  quarters  were  a 
little  short.  He  was  a  bull  of  unusual  vigor  of  constitu- 
tion and  required  to  be  carefully  handled.  Among  his 
get  that  acquired  distinction  in  show-yards  were  the 
champion  bulls  Starlight  2d  2559,  Buckeye  Starlight 
3718  and  General  Grant  4825— Charles' Phellis,  Madi- 
son County $3,000 

Marquis  (11787),  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  R.Thornton; 
sired  by  Whittington  (12299);  a  fine,  compactly-fash- 
ioned bull  of  extra  quality,  extensively  used  on  the  fine 
herds  then  owned  in  the  region  known  locally  as  the 
"Darby  Plains"— James  Fullington  (Union  County)  and 
others 3,000 

Sheffielder  (13693),  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  Mr.  Hall; 
sired  by  His  Grace  (10323)— J.  W.  Robinson,  Madison 
County 1,800 


SECOND   PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY. 


253 


Mario  (11779),  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  J.  S.  Tanqueray; 
sired  by  Horatio  (10335)  out  of  the  Gwynne  cow  Melody 
by  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax ;  a  fine,  large  bull,  with  wonder- 
full  depth  of  chest  and  of  a  remarkably  quiet  disposi- 
tion ;  his  get  were  uniformly  good ;  afterward  property 
of  David  Watson— Robert  Reed,  Madison  County 1,550 

Colonel  (12614),  red-and- white  roan  yearling,  bred  by  R. 
Lawson;  proved  a  good  breeder;  gained  first  prize  as 
bull  with  five  of  his  get  at  Ohio  State  Fair,  1860;  prog- 
eny frequently  shown  with  success — Messrs.  Dun 1,350 

Farmer  Boy  (11464),  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  R.  Thorn- 
ton— Joseph  Reyburn,  Madison  County 925 

Thornberry  (12222),  white  two-year-old,  bred  by  Richard 
Booth,  Warlaby ;  sired  by  Hopewell  (10332),  dam  Haw- 
thorne Blossom  by  Leonard;  sold  in  bad  condition; 
"off"  on  his  feet  and  thin  in  flesh;  low  and  level,  with 
wonderful  spring  of  rib,  splendid  quarters  and  real  War- 
laby chest  and  shoulders ;  one  of  the  best  feeders  ever 
known  in  the  Scioto  Valley ;  imparted  his  rare  feeding 
qualities  with  great  uniformity  to  his  get — Messrs.  Har- 
ness and  Felix  W.  Renick,  Picka  way  County 875 

Beau  Clerc  (11160),  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  F.  H.  Fawkes 

— D.  M.  Oeightou,  Madison  County 750 

Symmetry  (12167) ,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  J.  Knowles, 

sired  by  Phosphorus  9477 — Messrs.  Dun,  Madison  County  1,150 

Sportsman,  roan  bull  calf— James  Foster,  Madison  County. .      700 

Duke  of  Liverpool,  roan  bull  calf — George  G.  McDonald, 

Madison  County 555 

Splendor  997j^",  roan  yearling — F.  A.  Yocum,  Madison  County.      500 

Prince  Edward  864,  roan  yearling— M.  B.  Wright,  Fayette 

County 475 

Rocket  921>£,  white  yearling— David  Watson,  Union  County.      425 

Prince  Albert  3284,  roan  yearling— J.  F.  Chenoweth,  Madison 

County 300 

COWS  AND  HEIFERS. 

Stapleton  Lass,  red-and-white  roan  three-year-old,  bred  by 
R.  Thornton,  sired  by  Sailor  (9592) ;  afterward  property 
of  James  Fullington,  in  whose  hands  she  proved  a  capital 
breeder  and  great  milker ;  she  was  dam  of  David  Wat- 
son s  Fancy,  that  produced  the  great  champion  show  cow 
Jessie,  by  Starlight  2d ;  she  was  also  dam  of  the  prize 
bull  Buckeye  Starlight  3718— Jesse  Watson,  Madison 
County f  1,350 


254        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Picotee,  roan  six-year-old ;  sired  by  Robin  Hood  (8492) — Jesse 

Watson,  Madison  County 1,275 

Miss  Hilton,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  T.  Raine — David 

Watson 875 

Princess,  roan  three-year-old,  bred  by  W.  Raine— William 

Watson,  Clark  County 690 

Blossom,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  R.  Thornton— David  Wat- 
son    650 

Victoria,  roan  three-year-old,  bred  by  W.  Raine ;  afterward 
property  of  James  Fullington— J.  Q.  Winchell,  Madison 
County 600 

Alexandrina,  white  yearling,  bred  by  T.  Raine — David  Wat- 
son  -. . .  560 

Yorkshire  Dairy  Cow  (not  pedigreed) — Joseph  Negley,  Clark 

County 425 

Monsoon  (not  pedigreed) ,  dam  Yorkshire  Dairy  Cow— Jos. 

Reyburn,  Madison  County 295 

15  bulls  sold  for $17,355 ;  an  average  of $1,157 

9  females  sold  for 6,720 ;  an  average  of 747 

24  animals  sold  for 24,075 ;  an  average  of . . , 1,003 

Northern  Kentucky  Association. — In  1853 
an  association  of  Kentucky  breeders  under  this 
title  commissioned  Messrs.  Solomon  Vanmeter, 
Nelson  Dudley  and  Charles  T.  Garrard  to  pro- 
ceed to  England  for  the  purchase  of  cattle. 
Fifteen  cows  and  ten  bulls  were  selected  and 
imported  in  July  of  that  year,  which  were  sold 
at  auction  soon  after  their  arrival  at  the  farm 
of  B.  J.  Clay,  in  Bourbon  County,  at  the  extra- 
ordinary prices  noted  below: 

BULLS. 

Diamond  (11357),  roan  three-year-old,  bred  by  Earl  Fever- 
sham— B.  J.  Clay,  H.  Clay  Jr.,  George  M.  Bedford  and 
J.  Duncan,  Bourbon  County $6,000 

Challenger  (14252) ,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  Earl  Ducie ;  sired 
by  4th  Duke  of  York  (10167) ;  dam  Chaplet  by  Usurer 
(9763) ,  running  to  Magdalena  by  Comet — Isaac  and  Solo- 
mon Vanmeter  and  T.  L.  Cunningham,  Clark  County. . .  4,850 


SECOND   PERIOD   OF   ACTIVITY.  255 

Orontes  2d  (11877) ,  red  two-year-old,  bred  by  Earl  of  Bur- 
lington; out  of  imp.  Goodness,  of  Mason  blood — R.  A. 
Alexander,  Woodf ord  County 4,550 

Young  Chilton  (11278),  white  three-year-old,  bred  by  J.  Em- 
erson; sired  by  Chilton  (10054)— Dr.  R.  J.  Breckenridge 
and  Messrs.  B.  &  W.  Warfield,  Fayette  County 3,005 

Fortunatus  1564,  roan  bull  calf,  bred  by  F.  H.  Fawkes ;  sired 
by  Lord  Marquis  (10459) ;  dam  Fairy  Tale  by  Sir  Thos. 
Fairfax— Messrs.  Vanmeter,  Fayette  County 2,500 

The  Count  (12191),  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  H.  Ambler; 

sired  by  3d  Duke  of  York  (9047)— S.  Goff,  Clark  County.  2,500 

Senator  2d  (13687) ,  white  yearling,  bred  by  H.  Ambler ;  sired 
by  Senator  (8548) ;  dam  Fair  Frances  by  Sir  Thomas 
Fairfax  (5196)  —Allen  &  Curd,  Fayette  County 2,000 

Belleville  3d  (14150),  roan  yearling,  bred  by  Mason  Hopper; 

sired  by  Belleville  (6778)—  G.  W.  Sutton,  Fayette  County  1,500 

Fusileer  (11499) ,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  T.  Bell ;  sired 

by  Grand  Duke  (10284)— R.  W.  Scott,  Franklin  County. .  1,400 

Yorkshire  Maynard  (14043),  roan  yearling,  bred  by  A.  L. 
Maynard;  sired  by  Lord  George  (10443)— Robert  S.  Tay- 
lor; Clark  County 1,000 

COWS  AND  HEIFERS. 

Mazurka,  red-roan  yearling,  bred  by  W.  Smith,  sired  by  the 

Booth  ball  Harbinger  (10297) ,  in  calf  to  Orontes  2d— R. 

A.  Alexander,  Woodford  County $3,050 

Maid  of  Melrose,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  F.  H.  Fawkes,  sired 

by  Lord  Marquis  (10459)— R.  A.  Alexander 2,200 

Goodness,  red,  calved  in  1847 ;  bred  by  Mr.  Hall,  legatee  of 

Earl  Spencer;  sired  by  Orontes  (4623)— G.  W.  Sutton. . .  2,025 
Lady  Caroline,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  Mr.  Spearman, 

sired  by  Newtonian  (14991)— B.  J.  Clay,  Bourbon  County  1,825 
Lady  Stanhope,  roan,  calved  in  1847,  bred  by  A.  L.  Maynard, 

sired   by  Earl  Stanhope   (5966)— B.  J.  Clay,  Bourbon 

County 1,500 

Lady  Fairy,  red,  calved  in  1848,  bred  by  F.  H.  Fawkes,  sired 

by  Laudable  (9282)  out  of  Fairy  Tale,  the  dam  of  imp. 

Fortunatus— Dr.  Breckinridge  and  B.  &  W.  Warfleld, 

Fayette  County 1,100 

Orphan  Nell,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  J.  S.  Tanqueray,  sired 

by  Ruby  (10760) ;  dam  of  the  Gwynne  family— J.  A.  Gano, 

Bourbon  County 1,000 

Equity,  red  yearling,  bred  by  John  Booth,  sired  by  Lord 

George  (10439)— R.  A.  Alexander,  Woodford  County 1,000 


256        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Roan  Duchess,  roan  three-year-old,  bred  by  Mr.  Wetherell, 
sired  by  Whittington  (13299)— W.  H.  Brand,  Fayette 
County 900 

Duchess  of  Sutherland,  red  two-year-old,  bred  by  H.  Ambler, 

sired  by  Captain  Edwards  (8929)— W.  H.  Brand 900 

Gem,  roan  two- year-old,  bred  by  H.  Ambler,  sired  by  Broker 
(9993)  ;  dam  the  Booth  cow  Gulnare  (bred  by  Mr. 
Fawkes)  by  Norfolk  (2377)— S.  Vanmeter  and  T.  L.  Cun- 
ningham   825 

Flattery,  white  yearling,  bred  by  Earl  Ducie,  sired  by  4th 

Duke  of  York  (10167)— W.  R.  Duncan,  Clark  County ....  815 

Necklace,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  Col.  Towneley,  sired  by 

Duke  of  Athol  (10150)  —Henry  Clay  Jr. ,  Bourbon  County  805 

Bracelet,  roan  twin-sister  to  Necklace  above— M.  M.  Clay, 

Bourbon  County 750 

Muffin,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  Earl  Ducie,  sired  by  Usurer 

(9763)— W.  A.  Smith,  Scott  County 535 

10  bulls  sold  for $29,305 ;  an  average  of $2,930.50 

15  females  sold  for 19,230 ;  an  average  of 1,282.00 

25  animals  sold  for 48,535 ;  an  average  of 1,941.40 

The  ten  bulls  cost  in  England  about  $5,570 
and  fetched  nearly  $30,000.  The  females  cost 
about  $5,920  on  the  other  side  and  brought 
nearly  $20,000.  The  cattle  were  well  chosen, 
fell  for  the  most  part  into  good  hands  and 
were  important  factors  in  subsequent  Ken- 
tucky Short-horn  history.  The  high-priced 
bull  Diamond  proved  impotent.  Young  Chil- 
ton,  Challenger  and  Orontes  2d  were,  in  the 
order  named,  remarkable  stock-getters.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  in  this  connection  that  Young 
Chilton's  sire,  Chilton  (10054),  was  a  white  bull 
got  by  the  "never-beaten"  show  bull  Belleville 
(6778)  out  of  one  of  that  bulFs  own  daughters. 
Belleville  (see  foot-note  page  107)  was  the  bull 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF   ACTIVITY.  257 

that  Mr.  Bates  so  persistently  decried.  As  one 
of  the  best  sires  ever  used  in  Kentucky  carried 
a  double  cross  of  the  Belleville  blood,  the  infal- 
libility of  Mr.  Bates'  judgment  is  not  in  this 
case  apparent.  In  point  of  individual  merit 
Young  Chilton  also  headed  this  remarkable  list 
of  bulls,  Orontes  2d  standing  second  and  Chal- 
lenger third.  As  a  sire,  however,  the  latter, 
in  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Vanmeter,  surpassed 
the  work  of  Orontes  2d  at  Woodburn.  Sen- 
ator 2d,  Fortunatus  and  Yorkshire  Maynard 
produced  no  extraordinary  stock.  Of  the  cows 
of  this  memorable  importation  it  is  only  neces- 
sary to  say  that  the  descendants  of  Goodness 
in  the  hands  of  George  M.  Bedford,  of  Mazurka 
in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Alexander,  of  Gem  in 
the  herd  of  William  Warfield,  of  Roan  Duch- 
ess and  Orphan  Nell  in  many  different  herds, 
and  of  Lady  Caroline  at  C.  M.  Clay's,  demon- 
strated the  fact  that  the  original  selections 
were  made  with  rare  judgment  and  that  their 
progeny  was  handled  with  uncommon  skill. 

Scott  Co.  (Ky.)  Importing  Co. —  Near  the 
close  of  the  year  1853  a  company  was  organ- 
ized in  Scott  Co.,  Ky.,  and  Messrs.  W.  Crockett 
and  James  Bagg,  as  agents,  proceeded  to  Eng- 
land and  purchased  seven  females  and  five 
bulls,  which  were  sold  at  auction  Jan.  10, 1854, 
at  the  farm  of  Mr,  M.  B.  Webb.  Included  in 
this  lot  were  the  bulls  Baron  Feversham 

17 


258        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

13414,  a  roan  two-year-old  bought  at  the  sale 
by  C.  Estill  of  Madison  County  at  the  top  price 
of  $1,525;  the  bull  Pathfinder  805,  a  roan  year- 
ling, taken  by  Messrs.  Webb  &  Ford  of  Scott 
County  at  $860,  and  the  cows  Venus  by  Fair 
Eclipse  (11456),  sold  to  J.  Hill  of  Bourbon 
County  at  $710,  and  Carnation  by  Budget 
22265,  bought  by  C.  W.  Innes,  Fayette  County, 
at  $610.  The  entire  lot  brought  $7,535,  an  av- 
erage of  $685. 

In  1854  the  same  parties  who  had  been  inter- 
ested in  the  Scott  County  Co.  organized  again 
under  the  name  of  the  Kentucky  Importing  Co. 
and  sent  Messrs.  Wesley  Warnock  and  James 
Bagg  to  England  for  a  second  lot  of  cattle. 
They  purchased  six  bulls  and  fifteen  cows  and 
heifers  that  were  placed  upon  the  farm  of  C. 
W.  Innes,  near  Lexington,  and  in  October,  1854, 
five  of  the  bulls  and  fourteen  of  the  females 
were  sold  at  auction,  the  former  averaging 
$994  and  the  latter  $390.  This  sale  was  mem- 
orable from  the  fact  that  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander, 
whose  extensive  operations  are  shortly  to  be 
noticed,  paid  $3,500  for  the  roan  two-year-old 
bull  Sirius  (13737),  bred  by  E.  Ackroyd;  sired 
by  Concord  (11302)  out  of  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
Fawkes'  Fairy  Tale,  that  was  also  the  dam  of 
Fortunatus  1564.  The  next  highest-priced  bull 
was  the  roan  yearling  MacGregor  675 — also  of 
Fawkes'  breeding  —  that  was  taken  by  John 


SECOND    PERIOD   OF   ACTIVITY.  259 

Hill  at  $600.  The  top  price  for  cows  was  $650, 
paid  by  Mr,  R.  A.  Alexander  for  the  roan  two- 
year-old  Bessie  Howard,  and  $600  paid  by  the 
same  buyer  for  Lizzie,  by  Marquis  of  Carrabas 
(11789),  both  bred  by  Mr.  Fawkes.  From  the 
cow  Matilda,  by  Villiers  (13959)— sold  to  S.  Cor- 
bin  of  Bourbon  County  for  $205 — descended  the 
celebrated  show  heifer  Fannie  Forrester. 

Clinton  Co.  (0.)  Association. — An  organiza- 
tion formed  in  Clinton  Co.,  0.,  in  1854  sent  as 
its  agents  Messrs.  H.  H.  Hankins,  J.  G.  Coulter 
and  A.  R.  Seymour,  who  bought  and  imported 
seventeen  cows  and  heifers  and  ten  bulls,  that 
were  sold  Aug.  9  of  that  year  at  Wilmington, 
Clinton  County,  at  an  average  of  $1,037  for  the 
bulls  and  $649  for  the  females.  The  top  price 
for  females  was  $1,675,  paid  by  M.  B.  Wright 
and  William  Palmer,  Fayette  Co.,  0.,  for  the 
roan  cow  Duchess,  by  Norfolk  (9442).  The  roan 
cow  Princess,  by  Lord  Newton,  was  taken  by 
Hadley  &  Hankins  of  Clinton  County  at  $1,060; 
the  white  cow  Hope,  by  Duke  of  York  (6947), 
fell  to  the  bidding  of  William  Palmer  at  $1,000, 
and  the  roan  Victoria,  sold  without  pedigree, 
brought  from  Mr.  Peringer  a  like  sum.  Of  this 
importation  also  was  the  cow  Lady  Jane,  by 
Whittington,  a  red  of  Wetherell's  breeding, 
bought  by  David  Watson,  Madison  County,  for 
$500.  She  left  numerous  descendant's.  Another 
cow  to  which  some  of  our  American  pedigrees 


260        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

trace  was  also  in  this  shipment — Miss  Shaftoo, 
a  red  by  Captain  Shaftoe  (6833),  bred  by  W- 
Smith,  purchased  at  this  sale  by  Jesse  Starbuck 
at  $650.  We  should  also  mention  Louisa,  a 
roan  by  Crusader,  taken  by  J.  R.  Mills,  Clinton 
County,  at  $300.  The  bull  Wellington  (13989), 
a  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  R.  Lawson,  com- 
manded the  great  price  of  $3,700  from  Messrs. 
Coulter,  Hankins  and  others.  The  white  two- 
year-old  bull  Billy  Harrison  263,  out  of  the 
$1,675  Duchess  by  Norfolk,  was  taken  by  Jesse 
Starbuck  of  Clinton  County  at  $1,500.  The 
four-year-old  roan  Warrior  (12287),  bred  by 
Richard  Booth,  sired  by  Water  King  (11034) 
out  of  Bagatelle  by  Buckingham,  went  to  B. 
Hinkson  and  H.  H.  Hankins  at  $1,200. 

Clark  Co.  (0.)  Co.— The  last  of  the  importing 
companies  organized  in  the  State  of  Ohio  was 
formed  in  Clark  County  in  1854.  Dr.  Arthur 
Watts  of  Chillicothe  and  Alexander  Waddle  of 
South  Charleston  were  sent  abroad  to  make  the 
selection  and  purchased  twenty  cows  and  heif- 
ers and  nine  bulls  that  were  divided  by  auction 
sale  Sept.  6,  1854.  This  importation  included 
some  very  valuable  cattle,  some  of  the  most 
noted  of  which  are  listed  herewith,  together 
with  a  few  facts  of  interest : 

New  Year's  Day  (1,3383),  sold  at  this  sale  as  a  roan  yearling, 
was  bred  by  Lee  Norman  and  sired  by  Magnet  (11765)  out  of  Moss 
Rose  by  Killerby  (7122).  He  was  bought  by  C.  M.  Clark  of  Clark 
County  for  $3,500.  Before  importation  he  won  a  first  prize  at  the 
Royal  Dublin  Show  of  1853.  He  was  extensively  exhibited  through- 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY.  261 

out  the  West,  and  was  doubtless  the  best  show  bull  of  his  day. 
His  first  appearance  was  at  the  United  States  Cattle  Show  held 
at  Springfield,  O-,  in  the  fall  of  1854.  This  was  a  great  event  and 
the  scene  of  a  memorable  contest  between  Kentucky  and  Ohio 
bred  Short-horns.  The  big  light  roan  Kentucky  show  bull  Perfec- 
tion 810,  belonging  to  the  Louan  family;  Mr.  Bedford's  famous 
Laura  and  Abram  Renick's  Rose  of  Sharon  cow  Duchess,  by  Buena 
Vista,  were  among  the  "cracks"  present  from  south  of  the  river, 
but  imp.  Duchess,  by  Norfolk,  gained  for  Ohio  premier  honors 
among  the  cows  shown.  The  Kentuckians  were  fairly  cap- 
tivated by  the  young  imp.  New  Year's  Day,  and  after  a  consulta- 
tion in  which  Abram  Renick  participated  they  made  an  earnest 
effort  to  buy  him  at  a  considerable  advance,  but  without  success. 
New  Year's  Day  won  at  all  the  leading  shows,  and  when  quite  ad- 
vanced in  years  was  taken  West  and  won  prizes  at  exhibitions 
held  at  St.  Louis  and  Chicago.  While  he  did  not  have  any  special 
opportunities  as  a  sire  he  begot,  among  other  choice  cattle,  the 
famous  Lady  of  Clark  out  of  the  Miss  Wiley  cow  Anna  Hunt,  that 
Mr.  Clark  had  bought  in  Kentucky.  Lady  of  Clark  was  afterward 
sold  to  go  to  Illinois.  Flora  Belle,  bred  by  R.  G.  Corwin  from  imp. 
Scottish  Bluebell,  was  another  daughter  of  New  Year's  Day  that 
acquired  celebrity  in  the  show-ring. 

Medalist  (13324) ,  a  white  yearling  bull,  was ,  we  believe,  the  first 
representative  of  William  Torr's  breeding  brought  to  America. 
He  was  sired  by  Mr.  Booth's  celebrated  Crown  Prince  (10087),  and 
was  a  bull  of  fine  substance  and  extraordinary  spring  of  rib,  deeply 
covered  with  flesh.  He  was  •  purchased  at  the  sale  by  Dr.  Watts 
for  12,100  and  afterward  sold  to  Harness  Renick.  Some  of  the 
noted  show  animals  exhibited  by  Mr.  Anderson  belonging  to  his 
Matilda  and  Rose  of  Sharon  families  carried  a  Medalist  cross. 

Czar  395,  a  roan  yearling  got  by  Baron  Warlaby  (7813),  was 
taken  by  A.  J.  Paige  of  Clark  County  at  $1,900.  Ho  was  not  a 
large  bull,  but  showed  the  fleshy  character  of  his  Booth  ancestors 
and  left  much  good  stock,  including  the  beautiful  heiiers  Darling, 
out  of  imp.  Dahlia,  and  Delightful,  from  imp.  Aylesby  Lady. 

Buckingham  2d  297— also  of  the  Booth  blood— brought  $1,000. 
He  was  bought  by  William  D.  Pierce  of  Clark  County,  and  al- 
though highly  esteemed  for  his  individual  merit  was  not  given 
much  chance  as  a  stock  bull  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Pierce,  who  was 
a  very  poor  keeper. 

The  top  price  among  the  females  of  this  importation  was  $1,425, 
made  by  the  roan  Torr-Booth  cow  Aylesby  Lady,  by  Baron  War- 
laby (7813).  She  was  bought  by  A.  J.  Paige  and  was  easily  one  of 


262        A   HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

the  best  cows  of  her  time  in  this  country.  She  was  exceptionally 
broad,  deep  and  compact,  carried  a  great  wealth  of  flesh,  was  neat 
in  her  bone  and  a  capital  milker.  She  was  shown  with  success  at 
th#  Ohio  fairs  and  produced  several  good  calves,  including  De- 
lightful already  mentioned. 

Roman  13th,  a  roan  cow  bred  by  Mr.  Wilkinson  and  sired  by 
Will  Honeycomb  (5660) ,  possessed  great  scale  and  commanded  the 
next  highest  price — $1,EOO — from  Jacob  Pierce.  She  produced  the 
bull  Champion,  by  New  Year's  Day,  that  won  sweepstakes  at  the 
Ohio  State  Fair  of  1858  as  best  bull  of  any  age  or  breed,  being  at 
that  time  only  eighteen  months  old. 

Easter  Day,  a  roan  yearling  heifer  bred  by  Mr.  Fawkes  and 
sired  by  Lord  Marquis  (10459),  was  a  low,  thick-set,  squarely- 
built  cow  that  was  also  very  successful  at  the  shows,  but  not  a 
good  milker.  She  was  bought  at  the  sale  by  C.  M.  Clark  at  $1,125. 

Dahlia,  a  red  cow  by  Upstart  (9760) ,  was  taken  by  A.  J.  Paige  of 
Clark  County  at  $1,100. 

Zealous,  a  roan  cow  bred  by  Mr.  Wilkinson  belonging  to  a 
Mason  family,  went  to  Alexander  Waddle  at  $1,000.  In  symmetry 
of  form,  quality  of  hide,  hair  and  flesh  this  cow  was  extraordi- 
nary. She  had  an  abundance  of  long,  soft  hair,  possessed  great 
refinement  of  character  and  was  an  excellent  dairy  cow.  She  was 
one  of  several  head  bought  by  the  agents  of  the  company  at  a  pub- 
lic sale  made  by  Mr.  Wilkinson,  this  being  the  first  selection  made 
from  that  fine  old  herd  for  America. 

Lavender  3d  and  Lancaster  17th— heifers  from  Mr.  Wilkinson's 
—are  of  special  interest  in  this  connection  on  account  of  the  fact 
that  they  were  the  earliest  representatives  in  America  of  a  family 
which  afterward  acquired  celebrity  in  the  hands  of  Amos  Cruick- 
shank,  and  through  the  exhibition  in  the  West  of  imp.  Baron 
Booth  of  Lancaster.  Lavender  3d  was  considered  a  very  valu- 
able heifer  and  was  bought  at  this  sale  by  Dr.  Watts,  for  $600,  and 
was  afterward  sold  to  Walter  A.  Dun  of  Madison  County.  Lan- 
caster 17th  was  sold  to  W.  D.  Pierce  at  $900. 

The  nine  bulls  sold  for  $10,700,  an  average  of 
$1,188.88,  and  the  twenty  females  for  $13,215, 
an  average  of  $660.75. 

From  a  consideration  of  the  results  obtained 
in  Ohio,  Kentucky  and  other  Western  States 
by  the  use  of  the  blood  introduced  by  the  vari- 


SECOND   PERIOD   OF   ACTIVITY.  263 

ous  Ohio  companies,  it  must  be  conceded  that 
America  owes  a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude  to  the 
enterprising  men  who  in  these  early  days,  actu- 
ated largely  by  a  pure  desire  to  benefit  the  ag- 
ricultural community,  transferred  at  great  cost 
to  themselves  so  many  valuable  Short-horns 
from  Great  Britain  to  the  West. 

R,  A.  Alexander  of  Woodburn. — No  name  in 
American  Short-horn  history  is  more  revered 
than  that  of  Robert  Aitcheson  Alexander. 
Manifesting  a  deep  interest  in  cattle-breeding, 
contemporaneous  with  Mr.  Thome  of  New 
York,  Mr.  Alexander's  operations  were  on  a 
still  more  extensive  scale  than  those  at  Thorn- 
dale,  already  noted.  Moreover  they  had  the 
additional  advantage  of  being  carried  on  in  a 
community  that  appreciated  to  the  utmost  the 
extraordinary  opportunities-  offered  by  the  es- 
tablishment of  such  a  herd.  As  the  proprietor 
of  the  princely  estate  of  Woodburn,  Wooclford 
Co,,  Ky. — a  short  distance  west  of  Lexington, 
the  "blue-grass"  capital — Mr.  Alexander,  with 
characteristic  Scottish  thrift,  had  brought  his 
magnificent  farm  into  a  high  state  of  fertility. 
Stone  walls  and  stone  stabling  gave  an  air  of 
solidity  to  the  surroundings.  The  far-famed 
Lothians  of  his  native  land  afforded  no  rural 
scenes  so  fair  as  those  presented  by  the  wood- 
land pastures  of  this  "old  Kentucky  home." 
Naught  was  wanting  to  add  grace  and  value  to 


264        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  great  estate  but  worthy  tenants  for  its  lux- 
urious fields. 

During  the  winter  of  1852-53  Mr.  Alexander 
and  his  brother,  A.  J.,  visited  Great  Britain. 
The  now  rapidly  reviving  interest  in  cattle- 
breeding  in  America  had  not  escaped  his  no- 
tice, and  it  was  determined  upon  the  occasion 
of  this  visit  to  the  motherland  to  lay  the  foun- 
dation for  a  great  herd  of  Short-horns  at  Wood- 
burn.*31"  In  the  selection  of  the  stock,  aggregat- 
ing about  sixty-eight  head  of  cows  and  heifers 
and  some  fifteen  head  of  bulls,  Mr.  Alexander 
early  gave  evidence  of  his  intention  to  give 
American  cattle-breeders  the  benefit  of  a  wide 
range  of  choice  as  between  the  different  noted 
strains  of  blood  then  prominent  in  Great  Britain. 
This  phase  of  Mr.  Alexander's  character  has  been 
well  commented  upon  by  Mr.  Warfield  in  the 
following  language: 

"No  importations  ever  made  to  America  have  been  of  more 
value  to  this  county  than  those  of  Mr.  Alexander,  and  perhaps  no 
man  in  America  has  done  more  for  the  cultivation  of  pure-bred 
stock  than  did  the  late  Robert  Aitcheson  Alexander,  whether  we 
speak  of  the  Thoroughbred  racer  or  the  more  sturdy  trotter,  or  of 
Short-horn,  Ayrshire  or  Alderney  cattle,  or  of  Cotswold  or  South- 
down sheep.  He  had  an  eye  for  the  beauties  in  each  and  all.  Pos- 
sessed of  a  large  estate  he  used  it  unsparingly  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  best  quality  of  stock.  Possessed  of  the  power  that  comes 

*Woodburn  Farm  afterward  became  quite  as  noted  for  its  rare  collec- 
tion of  Thoroughbred  and  trotting  horses  as  for  its  Short-horns.  It  was 
the  home  of  the  great  four-mile  racer  Lexington,  and  in  later  years,  after 
the  property  had  passed  into  the  hands  of  A.  J.  Alexander,  the  farm,  under 
the  management  of  Mr.  Lucas  Brodhead,  achieved  world-wide  fame  as  a 
nursery  of  great  performers  on  the  trotting  turf.  Jersey  cattle  and  Cots- 
wold  and  Southdown  sheep  were  also  bred. 


SECOND    PERIOD    OP    ACTIVITY.  265 

from  great  wealth  he  wielded  it  all  in  the  support  of  the  best  in- 
terest of  the  community.  Able  to  command  any  blood  in  Short- 
horns he  insisted  on  having  the  best.  Familiar  with  pedigrees 
and  knowing  what  was  good  and  what  was  bad  he  honestly  ap- 
plied right  principles  to  the  end.  Consequently  he  was  carried  off 
into  no  crochets  and  gave  no  particular  strain  the  sole  benefit  of 
his  great  influence,  holding  it  up  to  the  public  gaze  as  the  true  and 
only  pure  blood.  On  the  contrary,  few  herds  have  ever  been 
founded  on  a  more  varied  basis,  and  few  breeders  have  ever  been 
so  catholic  in  their  tastes.  Pure  Booth,  pure  Bates,  Knightley, 
Mason,  Wiley,  Whitaker,  'Seventeen,'  every  strain  nearly  that 
has  ever  been  known  on  the  continent,  had  a  place  in  his  herd  and 
affections.  The  consequence  was  the  gathering  together  of  a  herd 
that  in  its  prime  had  certainly  no  equal  on  this  side  of  the  water, 
and  perhaps  as  certainly  none  on  the  other.  All  of  good  sterling 
worth  and  fancy,  so  long  as  fancy  did  not  conflict  with  worth,  that 
money  would  gather  together  was  to  be  seen  on  his  farm  at  Wood- 
burn.  Knowing  what  was  good,  when  he  found  it  in  other  blood 
than  what  was  represented  in  his  herd,  instead  of  claiming  it  to 
be  impure  he  purchased  it  and  incorporated  it  with  what  he  already 
had.  Thus  he  set  an  example  of  catholic  appreciation  which  it 
would  do  us  of  this  day  good  to  follow  more  closely." 

First  of  the  Airdrie  Duchesses. — Visiting 
the  leading  herds  of  Britain  he  bought,  among 
other  valuable  animals,  the  two-year-old  roan 
heifer  Duchess  of  Athol  and  her  half-brother, 
the  yearling  red-roan  bull  2d  Duke  of  Athol 
(11376),  both  bred  by  Col.  Towneley,  at  500 
guineas  for  the  pair.  It  may  be  remarked  in 
passing  that  on  this  same  trip  the  heifer  Ma- 
zurka, offered  at  100  guineas,  was  declined  and 
left  behind,  only  to  be  bought  at  the  Kentucky 
Importing  Co.'s  sale  the  following  year  at 
$3,050.  The  2d  Duke  and  the  Athol  Duchess 
had  been  produced  at  Towneley  by  Duchess 
54th,  that  was  taken  at  the  Kirklevington  dis- 


266        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

persiou  by  Mr.  Eastwood  at  £94  10s.  Colonel 
Towneley  had  bred  Duchess  54th  to  the  Booth 
bull  Lord  George  (10439),  a  white  bred  by  John 
Booth  at  Killerby  from  Fitz-Leonard  (7010) 
and  the  famous  Toy  cow  Birthday,  daughter 
of  the  celebrated  Bracelet.  Mr.  Alexander 
was  not  one  of  those  who  insisted  upon  strict 
breeding  "in  line."  He  liked  the  yearling 
that  resulted  from  this  "outcross" — 2d  Duke 
of  Athol — and  bought  him,  but  the  young  Duch- 
ess and  2d  Duke  were  left  for  a  time  in  Eng- 
land. To  a  service  by  the  2d  Duke  of  Athol 
or  Valiant  (10989)  Duchess  of  Athol  produced 
Duchess  of  Airdrie — so  called  from  the  Alex- 
ander family  estate  at  Airdrie  House,  Scotland 
— the  first  of  the  line  of  that  name  destined  to 
play  a  remarkable  role  in  American  Short-horn 
history.  Duchess  of  Athol  was  then  bred  to 
the  Duke  of  Gloster  (11382),  that  had  been 
bought  at  Lord  Ducie's  sale  in  1853  by  Morris 
&  Becar  for  $3,350,  with  the  understanding 
that  he  was  to  be  left  in  England  one  year 
before  being  shipped  to  America;  the  progeny 
this  time  being  the  red  -  and  -  white  bull  calf 
registered  and  afterward  famous  throughout 
the  Western  States  as  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie 
(12730). 

The  Alexander  importation  of  July,  1853. 
-The   first  lot  consigned   for  Woodburn  in- 
cluded thirty-six  females  and  five  bulls,  which 


SECOND    PERIOD   OF    ACTIVITY.  267 

were  forwarded  by  the  same  vessel  that  carried 
the  valuable  purchases  of  the  Northern  Ken- 
tucky Co.  in  1853.  Few  cargoes  of  greater  ul- 
timate value  have  ever  been  discharged  upon 
American  shores  than  that  landed  after  this 
voyage  by  the  good  ship  Washington,  under 
the  'command  of  Capt.  Duncan.  Hundreds  of 
herds  of  pedigreed  Short-horns  and  thousands 
of  the  best  bullocks  ever  bred  in  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Valleys  in  after  years  owed  their 
excellence  in  a  large  measure  to  the  valuable 
blood  introduced  into  the  West  as  a  result  of 
the  two  consignments  brought  by  this  vessel. 
Among  the  animals  in  this  initial  shipment 
for  Woodburn  was  the  red-and-white  cow  Miss 
Hudson — bred  by  Wiley  of  Brandsby— belong- 
ing to  a  tribe  originated  by  Mason  of  Chilton. 
Several  of  her  daughters  were  also  bought  by 
Mr.  Alexander,  and  from  this  foundation  sprang 
the  Miss  Wiley  and  Loudon  Duchess  families 
afterward  so  famous  in  Kentucky,  Ohio  and  the 
West.  Other  cows  included  in  this  consign- 
ment were  the  Bell-Bates  Filbert,  a  roan  by  2d 
Cleveland  Lad;  Jubilee,  Jubilee  2d,  Joyful  and 
Juniata  of  the  "  J"  Princess  family,  all  bred 
by  Mr.  Tanqueray;  Miss  Towneley,  mainly  of 
Fawkes  blood;  Maid  Marion,  Beatrice,  Sweet 
Mary,  Buttercup,  Nightingale  and  Grisi,  by 
Grand  Duke,  of  Bolden's  breeding.  Among  the 
bulls  were  Lord  John  (11278),  a  roan  by  Nor- 


268        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

folk  (9442),*  and  Fantichini  (12862),  bred  by 
Fawkes  and  tracing  to  Fair  Sovereign,  by  Sir 
Thomas  Fairfax. 

Subsequent  shipments  to  Woodburn  Farm. 
—During  the  years  immediately  following  Mr. 
Alexander  purchased  and  imported  thirty-two 
head  of  cows,  heifers  and  bulls  from  first-class 
English  herds,  bringing  out  along  with  them 
Duchess  of  Athol  and  her  daughter,  Duchess  of 
Airdrie,  and  son,  Duke  of  Airdrie  already  men- 
tioned. Also  such  cows  as  Pearlette,  red-and- 
white,  bred  by  S.  E.  Bolden,  sired  by  the  famous 
Booth  bull  Benedict  (7828);  Victoria  20th,  a  roan 
belonging  to  the  Mason  blood;  Filigree,  a  white 
heifer,  bred  by  Mr.  Saunders  and  sired  by  Abram 
Parker  (9856),  of  Booth  descent;  Lady  Gulnare, 
bred  by  Ambler  from  Mr.  Fawkes'  Booth  cow 
Gulnare  by  Norfolk  (2377);  Minna,  Constance 
and  Rosabella,  all  bred  by  Mr.  Fawkes  and  all 
sired  by  Bridegroom  (11203);  Lady  Derby  and 
her  dam,  the  Bell-Bates  cow  Forget-me-not; 
Lydia  Languish,  by  Duke  of  Gloster  (11382); 
Vellum,  bred  by  Sir  C.  Tempest,  sired  by  Abram 
Parker  (9856);  Lady  Barrington  13th,  bred  by. 
R.  Bell  from  4th  Duke  of  York  (10167);  Abigail, 
sired  by  Loyalist  (10479),  and  Minerva  3d,  a  red 

*  This  Norfolk  should  not  be  confused  with  Norfolk  (23T7),  that  has  been 
so  frequently  mentioned.  He  was  not  only  the  sire  of  Mr.  Alexander's 
Lord  John  but  of  the  great  roan  cow  Duchess,  imported  by  the  Clinton  Co. 
(O.)  Co.  in  1854,  that  was  first-prize  female  at  the  United  States  Cattle  Show 
at  Springfield,  O.,  that  year, 


SECOND   PERIOD    OF   ACTIVITY.  269 

Gwynne  cow,  and  her  roan  heifer  Lady  Sher- 
wood, by  5th  Duke  of  York. 

In  addition  to  the  Bates  bulls  2d  Duke  of 
Athol  and  Duke  of  Airdrie  Mr.  Alexander  im- 
ported the  Booth-bred  Dr.  Buckingham  (14405), 
bred  by  Ambler,  sired  by  Hopewell  (10332);  El 
Hakim  (15984),  a  red-roan  bred  by  Bolden  from 
the  Duchess  bull  Grand  Duke  (10284)  and  the 
Booth  cow  Fame,  by  Raspberry;  The  Priest 
(6246),  a  roan  sired  by  The  Prior  (13870)  out  of 
the  Mason-bred  cow  Graceful  2d  by  Earl  of 
Dublin  (10178);  Baron  Martin  (12444),  roan, 
bred  by  Holmes  of  Ireland,  sired  by  the  Booth 
bull  Baron  Warlaby  (7813)  out  of  a  Mason  Vic- 
toria dam;  and  several  others. 

As  will  appear  from  the  reports  of  the  sales 
made  by  the  Northern  Kentucky  and  Scott 
County  companies,  Mr.  Alexander  added  to  his 
own  extensive  importations,  by  purchase,  the 
grand  cows  Mazurka,  Maid  of  Melrose  and 
Equity  and  such  bulls  as  Orontes  2d  and  Sirius. 
After  breeding  from  this  extraordinary  array 
of  cattle  for  several  years  the  Woodburn  herd 
numbered  something  like  200  head  and  was 
beyond  all  question  the  best  collection  of  Short- 
horns then  in  North  America.  Indeed  it  is  doubt- 
ful if  its  superior,  size  considered,  existed  at  that 
time  in  either  England  or  the  United  States. 
The  leading  Kentucky  breeders  of  that  period 
were  not  slow  to  take  advantage  of  this  valu- 


270        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

able  material,  and  in  a  subsequent  chapter  we 
shall  have  occasion  to  point  out  the  far-reach- 
ing effects  of  Mr.  Alexander's  importations* 
upon  Short-horn  breeding  in  the  Western 
States  for  a  long  series  of  years. 

Importations  by  the  Shakers. — In  1854  and 
1856  the  society  of  Shakers  at  Union  Village, 
Warren  Co.,  0.,  imported  about  eighteen  cows 
and  heifers  and  eight  young  bulls,  most  of  which 
were  from  the  fine  old  herd  of  James  Douglas' 
of  Athelstaneford,  Scotland.  Among  the  cows 
were  April  Morn,  Violante  (with  white  heifer  Ata- 
lanta),  Marchioness,  Margaret,  Duchess,  Blanche 
(with  white  heifer  Lady  Blanche),  Farewell, 
Bellevue  and  Heroine,  all  from  the  Douglas 
herd.  Of  Mark  Stewart's  (of  South  wick)  breed- 
ing was  Hawthorne  Blossom,  and  from  Mr. 
Hutchinson's  stock  they  obtained  the  roan 
Prize  Flower,  by  Prince  Charlie  (13503).  From 
Mr.  Douglas  they  also  bought  the  bulls  Captain 
Balco  (12546),  Morning  Star  (14962),  King  of 
Trumps  (14767),  Chancellor  (12579),  Hearts  of. 
Oak  (14684),  Duke  of  Soiithwick  (14455),  and 
Hawthorne  Hero  (14682). 

In  1854  the  Shakers  of  Pleasant  Hill,  Ky., 

*  Mr.  Ben  F.  Vanmeter,  who  afterward  became  a  prominent  breeder  in 
Kentucky,  in  the  course  of  a  recent  letter  to  the  author  says:  "I  came  home 
across  the  Atlantic  with  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander  in  1853  just  before  he  made 
his  first  importation  of  blooded  stock.  He  and  I  were  the  only  two  South- 
ern men  on  board,  and  although  I  was  then  only  nineteen  years  old  a  friend- 
ship sprang1  up  between  us  which  continued  to  the  end  of  his  life.  I  con- 
sider that  he  was  the  greatest  benefactor  the  blooded-stock  interest  has 
ever  had  in  America." 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY.  271 

imported  the  bull  Duke  of  Cambridge  447. 
They  had  many  years  previously  bought,  in 
connection  with  Hon.  Henry  Clay,  for  $1,000 
the  imported  bull  Orozimbo  786,  and  also  bought 
cows  imported  by  Mr.  Gambel,  via  New  Orleans. 

James  S.  Matson  (Kentucky). — In  1852  J.  S. 
Matson  of  Paris,  Ky.,  imported  the  roan  two- 
year-old  bull  John  o'  Gaunt  (11621),  bred  by  J. 
S.  Tanqueray,  and  the  roan  yearling  Javelin 
(11610)  of  Lord  Hill's  breeding.  The  former 
was  used  on  some  of  the  best  cows  in  the  State, 
including  a  number  of  Abrarn  Renick's. 

Wilson  &  Seawright  (Ohio). — In  1854  Messrs. 
Wilson  &  Seawright  of  Cincinnati,  0.,  imported 
the  bulls  Fair  Trader  1545,  Lord  Eglinton  1795, 
Deceiver  409,  Locomotive  646,  Benjamin  Dis- 
raeli 12517  and  heifers  Gaudy,  White  Stockings, 
Margaret  and  Isidora.  This  same  firm  subse- 
quently imported  four  other  heifers,  two  of 
which  were  named  White  Rose  (both  white), 
one  Fanny  with  heifer  calf,  and  a  fourth  the 
roan  Laura.  The  two  White  Roses  and  Laura 
were  bred  in  Ireland. 

Mason  and  Bracken  (Kentucky)  Associa- 
tion.— In  the  year  1856  a  group  of  Kentucky 
breeders  organized  a  company  under  the  name 
of  the  Mason  and  Bracken  Counties  Importing 
Co.  Their  purchasing  agents  were  Messrs.  Al- 
exander R.  Marshall  and  Henry  Smoot,  the 
importation  being  lauded  at  Philadelphia  in 


272        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

June  of  that  year.  It  included  sixteen  cows 
and  heifers  and  five  bulls.  No  sale  was  made 
by  this  company  until  Oct.  1,  1859,  after  the 
financial  crisis  of  1857  had  swept  values  away, 
and  we  are  without  details  as  to  prices  ob- 
tained. They  were  doubtless  low.  Among  the 
females  were  the  following:  Duenna,  roan  two- 
year-old,  bred  by  Mr.  Bolden  and  belonging  to 
a  Bell-Bates  family;  Diana,  roan  two-year-old, 
sold  to  J.  E.  French,  Mason  Co.,  Ky.;  Alice,  red- 
and-white  two-year-old,  sired  by  Harbinger 
(10297),  sold  to  J.  C.  Humphrey;  Light  of  the 
Harem,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  Mr.  Fawkes, 
sold  to  B.  Jameson;  Lady  Macbeth,  two-year- 
old,  bred  by  Mr.  Fawkes,  sold  to  H.  Smoot; 
Jennie  Deans,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  in  Ire- 
land, sold  to  Messrs.  Durrett.  Among  the  bulls 
were:  Macbeth  (13266),  a  roan,  bred  by  Mr. 
Fawkes,  sired  by  Bridegroom  (11203);  Vatican 
12260,  a  roan,  bred  by  Earl  Ducie  and  sired  by 
Usurer  (9763);  Blandimar  19044,  a  roan,  bred 
by  Sir  Charles  Knightley,  sired  by  Earl  of  Dub- 
lin (10178)  and  belonging  to  the  Fawsley  Wal- 
nut tribe.  The  importation  did  not  leave  any 
special  impress  upon  Kentucky  Short-horn 
breeding. 

Livingston  Co.  (N.  Y.)  Association. — A  num- 
ber of  well-to-do  farmers  and  cattle-breeders 
in  the  Genesee  Valley  of  New  York  formed  a 
company  in  1854  known  as  the  "  Livingston 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY.  273 

County  Stock  Association,"  and  through  their 
agents,  Messrs.  David  Brooks  and  S.  L.  Fuller, 
purchased  in  England  twenty-four  Short-horns. 
Unfortunately  one-half  of  these  were  lost  dur- 
ing a  storm  at  sea.  Among  the  surviving  ani- 
mals were  the  bulls  Governor  2922,  Usurper 
3522  and  Bletsoe  2548,  and  the  cows  Music,  a 
roan  of  the  Gwynne  family  bred  by  Mr.  Tan- 
queray,  ^  sired  by  Balco  (9918);  Hopeless,  red- 
and-white,  sired  by  Horatio  (10335);  Lady  El- 
lington, red,  sired  by  Broughton  Hero  (6811); 
Medora,  also  a  Gwynne,  by  Horatio,  (10335); 
Phoenix  2d,  red-roan,  by  Horatio  (10335);  Aus- 
tralia, red -and -white,  by  Lord  Foppington 
(10437),  and  Camilla,  red-roan  Gwynne  of  Tan- 
queray's  breeding,  sired  by  Fusileer  (11499). 
Several  of  these  cows  passed  into  the  posses- 
sion of  *  Gen.  James  S.  Wads  worth  of  Geneseo 
and  left  a  valuable  progeny.  Soon  after  this 
importation  was  made  the  bull  Governor  2922 
was  sent  out  to  the  same  parties. 

Thomas  Richardson  (New  York). —  About 
the  year  1854  Thomas  Richardson  of  New  York 
City  imported  some  Short-horns  along  with 
other  live  stock,  among  them  the  Duke  of 
Cambridge  (12746)  and  the  Booth-bred  cows 
Bijou,  by  Crown  Prince  (10087);  Fanella,  by 
Baron  Warlaby  (7813);  Fanny  Warlaby,  by 
same  sire;  Harmony,  by  Crown  Prince;  Rachel, 
by  Hopewell  (10332),  together  with  Laura,  by 


18 


274        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Hector  (13002),  and  Lady  Constance,  by  Lord 
Derby  (13179).  Three  of  the  Booth  cows  were 
bred  by  Mr.  R.  Chaloner,  Kings  Fort,  Ireland, 
and  one  by  Mr.  Torr.  These  were  kept  on  Mr. 
Richardson's  farm  at  Westchester,  the  herd 
being  sold  soon  after  his  death,  which  occurred 
a  few  years  after  the  arrival  of  the  importa- 
tion. 

Dr.  H.  Wendell  (New  York).— In  1856  Dr.  H. 
Wendell  of  Albany  brought  out  an  importation 
of  four  cows  and  heifers  and  the  bull  Lord 
Ducie  662--all  bred  by  R.  Bell  and  crossed  by 
Bates  bulls.  The  red  Craggs  cow  Alice  Maud, 
by  Grand  Duke  (10284);  the  roan  Lady  Liver- 
pool, by  3d  Duke  of  York  (10166);  the  red-and- 
white  Acomb  heifer  Agnes,  by  Earl  of  Derby 
(10177),  and  the  roan  two-year-old  Famous  (of 
the  Bell-Bates  Fletcher  tribe),  by  Earl  of  Derby 
(10177),  were  in  this  shipment.  Agnes  was  in 
calf  to  Gen.  Canrobert  (12926)  and  dropped  the 
red-and- white  Duchess  of  Cleveland  after  im- 
portation to  that  service.* 

J.  0.  Sheldon  (New  York).— Sheldon  of  Ge- 
neva, N.  Y.>  who  afterward  acquired  the  Thorne 
Duchesses,  imported  in  1857  the  roan  yearling 
Bates  Oxford  bull  Grand  Duke  of  Oxford  ( 16184) , 
bred  by  Capt.  Gunter  from  Oxford  llth;  the  red 

*We  have  neglected  to  list  in  its  proper  order  the  importation  of  the 
red-and-white  cow  Lucy,  by  Young  North  Star  (2384),  brought  into  New 
York  in  183(5  by  a  Capt.  Sproul.  This  cow  was  bougrht  by  J.  S.  Berryrnau  of 
Fayette  Co,,  Ky.,  in  1338. 


SECOND    PERIOD   OF    ACTIVITY.  275 

yearling  Grand  Duke  2d  (14640),  alias  Claren- 
don 2632,  bred  by  Jonas  Webb  and  afterward 
sold  to  N.  L.  Chaffee  of  Ohio;  and  the  roan 
heifer  Miss  Butterfly,  by  Master  Butterfly  2d 
(14918)  out  of  Ratafia  by  King  Arthur  (13110). 

R.  F.  Nichols  (Louisiana).— In  1856  Mr.  R.  F. 
Nichols  of  New  Orleans  imported  the  two  roan 
cows  Lady  Stanhope  2d  and  Nightingale,  both 
sired  by  Whitaker  Comet  (8771).  As  to  where 
they  were  taken  and  as  to  what  progeny  they 
left  we  a're  not  advised. 

First  importations  into  Indiana.— We  have 
now  to  record  the  first  direct  importation  from 
England  into  the  territory  west  of  the  State  of 
Ohio.  In  1838  Mr.  Chris.  Whitehead  of  Frank- 
lin County  imported  the  roan  two-year-old  bull 
Eryx  (1982),  bred  by  Mr.  Tempest  and  got  by 
Brutus  (1752)  out  of  Venus  by  Sir  Walter  (2638); 
the  cow  Young  Venus,  by  Reveller  (2529),  in  calf 
to  Young  Grazier  (8929) — the  progeny  being  the 
roan  bull  Grazier  4041 — and  heifer  Strawberry, 
by  Eryx. 

In  the  year  1853  Dr.  A.  C.  Stevenson  of  Green- 
castle,  Incl.,  imported  four  heifers  and  two  young 
bulls,  as  follows:  Bloom,  red-and-white,  and 
Violet,  roan,  both  bred  by  John  Emerson  and 
both  daughters  of  Master  Belleville  (11795); 
Miss  Welbourn,  a  roan  bred  by  Messrs.  Weth- 
erell,  sired  by  St.  John  (27755),  and  Strawberry 
5th,  red-roan,  bred  by  Mr.  Thornton  of  Staple- 


276        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

ton,  sired  by  Deliverance  (11347).  The  bulls 
were  Prince  of  Wales  876,  a  roan  of  Mr.  Weth- 
erell's  breeding,  sired  by  Whittington  (12299), 
and  the  roan  Fancy  Boy  492,  bred  by  Mr.  Thorn- 
ton, sired  by  Major  (11771). 

An  early  importation  to  Wisconsin.  —  In 
1854  Mr.  John  P.  Roe  of  Waukesha  County 
brought  the  first  imported  Short-horns  into 
Wisconsin.  The  lot  consisted  of  three  or  four 
females  and  a  bull,  all  bred  by  George  Faulkner 
of  Rothersthorpe.  The  shipment  included  the 
red  cow  Sally,  by  Pilot  (24748);  the  two-year- 
old  red  heifer  Raspberry,  by  Protection  (11956); 
red  yearling  heifer  Diana,  by  Dictator  (11356), 
and  red  yearling  bull  Rothersthorpe  928,  by 
Dictator  (11356).  Raspberry  was  in  calf  to 
Rothersthorpe,  and  dropped  the  red  heifer  Re- 
gina.  (See  Vol.  II,  A.  H.  B.) 

Illinois  Importing  Co. — Prominent  among 
those  who  settled  at  an  early  date  upon  the 
fertile  prairies  of  the  State  of  Illinois  were  a 
class  of  men,  principally  from  the  State  of  Ken- 
tucky, who  not  only  brought  good  cattle  with 
them  but  advanced  ideas  as  to  the  value  of  good 
blood  in  the  maintenance  of  their  herds.  They 
found  the  grasses  and  grains  of  Illinois  quite  as 
well  adapted  to  beef-cattle  breeding  as  those  of 
their  native  State,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
several  good  herds  of  Short-horns  were  estab- 
lished. Chief  among  those  who  were  foremost 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY.  277 

in  this  pioneer  work  with  Short-horns  in  the 
newer  West  must  be  mentioned  the  late  Capt. 
James  N.  Brown,  whose  magnificent  estate  of 
Grove  Park  in  Sangamon  County  still  remains 
in  the  family  and  is  still  devoted  largely  to 
cattle-growing  and  feeding  operations.  Capt. 
Brown  removed  from  Kentucky  in  the  year 
1833  and  brought  with  him  some  good  Short- 
horns, which  constituted,  we  believe,  the  earliest 
introduction  of  the  breed  into  the  Upper  Missis- 
sippi Valley.  Soon  after  these  early  settlers 
founded  their  herds,  however,  the  great  depres- 
sion from  1840  to  1850  settled  down  upon  the 
country  and  slow  progress  was  made  in  the  im- 
provement of  the  Illinois  cattle,  but  with  the 
revival  of  interest  that  occurred  in  other  States 
in  the  fifties  the  enterprising  breeders  of  Cen- 
tral Illinois  resolved  to  undertake  in  earnest 
the  work  of  bringing  their  herds  up  to  the 
standard  of  those  that  had  existed  for  so  many 
years  in  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  Accordingly  in 
the  year  1857  a  syndicate  was  formed  for  the 
purpose  of  making  a  direct  importation  from 
England. 

Capt.  James  N.  Brown  was  the  master-spirit 
of  this  organization,  and  the  whole  project 
would  have  failed  had  he  not  consented  to  act 
as  one  of  the  agents  for  the  purchase  of  the 
cattle  on  the  other  side.  Messrs.  H.  C.  Johns 
and  H.  Jacoby  were  selected  to  act  as  his  assist- 


278        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

ants.  They  proceeded  to  Great  Britain,  and 
'  after  careful  examination  of  many  of  the  lead- 
ing herds  in  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland  they 
purchased  ten  bulls  and  twenty-one  cows  and 
heifers.  These  were  shipped  on  the  sailing  ves- 
sel Georgia,  which  had  a  stormy  passage  of  some 
sixty  days'  duration.  Three  bulls  and  one  heifer 
died  at  sea,  but  the  rest  were  duly  landed  at 
Philadelphia  in  July,  1857.  Following  the  prac- 
tice of  their  predecessors  in  the  older  States  the 
stockholders  decided  to  divide  up  the  cattle 
through  the  medium  of  an  auction  sale.  It  was 
first  agreed,  in  order  that  the  full  benefit  of  this 
importation  might  accrue  to  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois, to  bar  all  bidders  from  other  States.  The 
sale  was  held  on  the  local  fair-grounds  at  Spring- 
field Aug.  27, 1857,  and  attracted  widespread  in- 
terest. There  was  not  only  a.  great  attendance 
from  Illinois  but  numerous  breeders  were  pres- 
ent as  spectators  from  adjacent  States.  It  was  a 
great  event  in  the  early  agricultural  history  of 
the  West.*  It  was  an  exciting  day  at  Spring- 

» To  Mr.  William  Brown,  son  of  the  late  Capt.  James  N.  Brown,  the 
author  is  indebted  for  a  copy  of  the  original  catalogue  of  this  memorable 
sale,  the  title-page  of  which  reads,  "Catalogue  of  Pure-Blooded  Short- 
Horned  Cattle,  also  Horses,  Sheep  and  Hogs,  owned  by  the  Illinois  Import- 
ing Association."  The  horses  seem  to  have  consisted  of  a  three-year-old 
Cleveland  Bay  stallion,  a  two-year-old  Thoroughbred  stallion  and  a  black 
Thoroughbred  mare  that  unfortunately  died  before  the  sale.  The  sheep 
consisted  of  Cotswolds  and  Southdowns,  the  latter  mainly  from  the  flock 
of  Jonas  Webb,  the  breeder  of  the  bull  King  Alfred,  to  be  mentioned.  The 
swine  consisted  of  Berkshires  from  the  herds  of  E.  Bowly  of  Siddington, 
Hewer  of  Highworth  and  others,  and  of  Irish,  Cumberland  and  Yorkshire 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF   ACTIVITY.  279 

field,  and  fortunately  for  the  company  (but  per- 
haps unfortunately  for  the  individual  buyers  at 
the  sale)  the  event  occurred  a  few  weeks  before 
the  alarming  financial  panic  of  1857  overtook 
the  business  interests  of  the  Nation. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  this  was  the  primal 
auction  sale  of  Short-horns  in  the  Western 
country  it  will  be  of  interest  to  produce  here- 
with a  full  report: 

BULLS. 

Defender  (12687),  roan  three-year-old;  bred  by  A.  Cruick- 
shank,  Sittyton,  and  the  first  bull  from  that  afterward 
celebrated  herd  brought  to  America ;  sired  by  Matadore 
(11800)— A.  G.  Carle,  Champaign  County $2,500 

Admiral  2473,  red  two-year-old,  bred  by  Lord  Talbot  of  Ire- 
land, sired  by  Chrisp's  Phoenix  (10608)  out  of  the  Booth- 
crossed  cow  Maid  of  Moynalty  by  Beau  of  Killerby  (7821) 
— S.  Dunlap  &  Co. 2,500 

Argus  (14102),  roan  yearling,  bred  by  H.  Combe;  sired  by 
Beau  (12182)  out  of  Annie  by  Broughton  Hero  (6811),  a 
roan  bull  illustrated  on  page  25,  Vol.  VI,  Coates'  Herd 
Book,  sired  by  Buchan  Hero  (3238)— George  Barnett, 
Will  County 2,055 

King  Alfred  (14760),  red  two-year-old,  bred  by  Jonas  Webb, 
sired  by  Cheltenham  (12588) ;  dam  Heart's  Ease  by  Lord 
of  the  North  (11743)— Brown,  Jacoby  &  Co.,  Sangamon 
County 1,300 

Dubloon  3833^,  red  yearling;  bred  by  J.  Topham,  Ireland; 

sired  by  Orphan  Boy  (13429)— W.  lies,  Sangamon  County  1,075 

Goldfinder  2920J4,  roan  bull  calf,  bred  by  H.  Ambler;  sired 
by  Grand  Turk  (12969) ,  that  was  imported  by  Mr.  Thome 
— J.  C.  Bone,  Sangamon  County 725 

Master  Lowndes  3140)4,  roan  two-year  old,  sired  by  Belle- 

rophon  (11165)— J.  H.  Spears,  Menard  County 725 

COWS  AND  HEIFERS. 

Rachel  3d,  roan  two-yeir-old,  bred  by  S.  E.  Bolden :  sired  by 
Duke  of  Bolton  (12738),  a  Bates-topped  Booth  bud;  dam 
the  Booth-bred  Rachel  by  Leonard  (4210),  tracing  to  the 
Halnaby  foundation— Jas.  N.  Brown,  Sangamon  County.  $3,025 


280        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Emerald,  roan  yearling ;  bred  by  T.  Barnes,  Westland,  Ire- 
land ;  sired  by  the  Booth  bull  Hopewell  (10332) ;  dam  Ruby 
by  Royal  Buck  (10750) ,  running  to  Mason's  Lady  Sarah 
— J.  C.  Bone 2,125 

Empress,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  Edward  Bowly  of  Sid- 
dington,  sired  by  Tortworth  Duke  (13892) ;  dam  Flippant, 
by  Bourton  Hero  (9983)— Henry  Jacoby 1,725 

Western  Lady,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  H.  Ambler,  sired 
by  Grand  Turk  (12969)*;  dam  Wiseton  Lady  by  Humber 
(7102) ,  running  through  Earl  Spencer's  herd  to  a  Mason 
foundation — Capt.  James  N.  Brown  1,325 

Lady  Harriet,  roan  three-year-old,  bred  by  A.  Cruickshank 
and  the  first  Sittyton-bred  cow  brought  to  America ;  sired 
by  Procurator  (10657) ,  dam  Countess  of  Lincoln  by  Dia- 
mond (5918) ;  bulled  by  Lord  Sackville  (13249)— J.  H. 
Jacoby,  Sangamon  County 1,300 

Fama,  red-and-white  yearling,  bred  by  S.  E.  Bolden,  sired 
by  imp.  2d  Grand  Duke  (10284)  and  tracing  to  Booth's 
Fame— J.  H.  Spears  &  Co.,  Menard  County 1,050 

Pomegranate,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  Rev.  T.  Cator,  sired  by 
Master  Charley  (13312);  dam  Cassandra  by  Norfolk 
(9442) ,  a  granddaughter  of  Fawkes'  Fair  Maid  of  Athens 
by  Sir  Thomas  Fairfax,  running  to  Booth's  Isabella  by 
Pilot— T.  Simpkins,  Pike  County 975 

Stella,  roan  four-year-old,  bred  by  E.  Bowly,  sired  by  Snow- 
storm (12119)— Mr.  Bonnman,  St.  Clair  County 925 

Perfection,  red  yearling,  bred  by  A.  Cruickshank,  sired  by 
The  Baron  (13833),  dam  Model  by  Matadore  (11800)— E. 
B.  Hill,  Scott  County 900 

Adelaide,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  A.  Cruickshank,  sired  by 
Matadore  (11800),  dam  Edith  Fairfax  by  Sir  Thomas 
Fairfax  (4196)— R.  Morrison,  Morgan  County 825 

Minx,  red  yearling,  bred  by  J.  Christy  of  Ireland,  sired  by 

Lord  Spencer  (13251)— J.  G.  Loose,  Sangamon  County. . .  800 

Bella,  roan  five-year-old,  bred  by  E.  Bowly,  sired  by  Cali- 
fornia (10017)— J.  Ogle,  St.  Clair  County 750 

Violet,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  Jonas  Webb,  sired  by  Young 

Scotland  (13681 )  —Col.  J.  W.  Judy,  Menard  County 700 

Constance,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  E.  Bowly,  sired  by 

Snowstorm  (12119) —George  Barnett,  Will  County 700 


*  Grand  Turk  was  a  bull  of  immense  size,  and  for  a  big  one  quite  as 
smoothly  put  together  as  could  be  expected.  He  was  imported  to  New 
York  by  the  Thornes.  See  page  24f. 


SECOND    PERIOD   OF   ACTIVITY.  281 

Cassandra  3d,  roan  two-year-old,  bred  by  Rev.  T.  Cat/or; 
sired  by  Master  Charley  (13312),  tracing  to  the  Booth 
cow  Medora  by  Ambo— H.  Owslcy,  Sangamon  County. . .  675 

Empress  Eugenie,  rcd-and-white  two-year-old,  bred  by  H. 
Ambler,  sired  by  Bridegroom  (11203),  tracing  to  the 
Cherry  by  Waterloo  foundation  — J.  Ogle,  St.  Glair 
County 675 

Coquette,  roan  yearling,  bred  by  E.  Bowly,  sired  by  Econo- 
mist (11425)— George  Barnett,  Will  County 550 

Lily,  white  two-year-old,  bred  by  E.  Bowly,  sired  by  Snow- 
storm (12119)— George  Barnett 550 

Caroline,  roan  four-year-old,  bred  by  Lowndes,  sired  by  Ar- 
row (9906)— J.  M.  Hill,  Cass  County 500 

Coronation,  red  yearling,  bred  by  Jonas  Webb,  sired  by  Chel- 
tenham (12588)— J.  A.  Pickrell,  Sangamon  County 500 

7  bulls  sold  for $10,880 ;  an  average  of f  l  ,554 

20- females  sold  for 20,575 ;  an  average  of 1,028 

27  animals  sold  for 31,455 ;  an  average  of 1.165 

With  the  single  exception  of  the  imported 
cow  Mazurka,  for  which  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander 
had  paid  $3,050  at  the  Northern  Kentucky  Im- 
porting Cb.'s  sale,  the  purchase  of  Rachel  2d  by 
Capt.  Brown  at  $3,025  represented  high-water 
mark  up  to  that  date  for  a  Short-horn  female 
at  public  sale  in  North  America.  This  cow  is 
described  to  us  by  Col.  James  W.  Judy  as  "a 
rich  roan,  rather  leggy,  quite  lengthy  and  some- 
what light  in  the  body."  Unfortunately  for 
her  buyer  she  lived  but  a  few  years  and  had  no 
produce  that  proved  fruitful.  Western  Lady, 
Caroline  and  Constance  were  the  cows  that  left 
the  most  and  best  progeny  among  all  the  fe- 
males of  the  importation.  In  fact,  so  far  as 
herd-book  records  indicate,  these  three  cows 
are  about  the  only  ones  that  did  found  families 


282         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

of  any  consequence.  While  Emerald  was  per- 
haps the  best  individual  cow  sold,  Western 
Lady  was  easily  the  most  valuable,  as  subse- 
quently demonstrated  by  the  large  and  excel- 
lent tribe  she  gave  to  the  Western  States.  Car- 
oline was  out  of  condition  on  day  of  sale,  but 
proved  to  be  a  good  purchase.  Among  the  bulls 
King  Alfred  of  Jonas  Webb's  breeding  was  un- 
doubtedly the  most  valuable  although  not  the 
highest-priced.  While  he  was  preferred  by 
some  as  an  individual  to  any  other  bull  in  the 
lot,  yet  a  majority  of  those  in  attendance  re- 
garded Admiral  and  Defender  as  the  two  show 
bulls  of  the  importation. 

Founding  of  the  American  Herd  Book.— 
America  was  practically  without  a  public  ped- 
igree registry  for  Short-horn  cattle  until  1855. 
The  late  Lewis  F.  Allen  of  Black  Rock,  N.  Y., 
had,  it  is  true,  issued  the  small  initial  volume 
of  the  American  Herd  Book  in  1846,  but  at  that 
early  date  few  breeders  could  be  found  to  take 
an  interest  in  the  project,  and  the  entries  were 
limited  largely  to  the  pedigrees  of  such  stock 
as  Mr.  Allen  was  personally  familiar  with — no- 
tably animals  owned  in  New  York,  Pennsylva- 
nia and  New  England.  It  was  not  until  the 
second  volume'  was  issued 'in  the  autumn  of 
1855  that  the  breeders  of  the  West  came  to  the 
support  of  the  register.  Prior  to  that  time 
some  of  the  leading  breeders  and  importers 


SECOND    PERIOD    OF    ACTIVITY.  283 

had  been  content  with  recording  certain  of 
their  animals  in  the  English  Herd  Book. 
Others  maintained,  with  more  or  less  accu- 
racy, their  own  private  records,  showing  the 
lineage  of  their  stock.  Another  large  class 
preserved  no  detailed  account  of  the  breeding 
of  their  cattle,  or  handled  their  records  so  loose- 
ly as  to  render  them  of  little  value. 

It  was  indeed  an  appalling  task  that  confronted 
Mr.  Allen  at  the  outset  of  his  undertaking.  It 
was  even  a  more  difficult  work  than  had  been 
assumed  by  George  Coates  in  Yorkshire  some 
thirty  years  previous.  Coates  could  throw  the 
saddlebags  upon  his  old  white  "nag"  and  jog 
about  among  the  breeders,  within  a  day's  jour- 
ney, at  his  convenience.  Moreover  he  had  the 
powerful  influence  of  Jonas  Whitaker  at  his 
back.  Mr.  Allen  had  to  collect  the  data  of 
half  a  century  of  breeding  in  the  new  world; 
the  stock  being  mainly  in  the  possession  of  peo- 
ple unaccustomed  to  the  preservation  of  pedi- 
gree records.  The  cattle  \vere  in  the  hands  of 
a  great  number  of  people  in  widely-separated 
States;  scattered  in  fact  throughout  an  empire 
extending  from  New  England  to  the  Central 
West. 

Mr.  Allen  had  some  qualifications  for  the 
work.  He  had  been  breeding  Short-horns  him- 
self in  a  modest  way,  and  enjoyed  the  personal 
acquaintance  of  a  number  of  Eastern  import- 


284         A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

ers,  including  such  men  as  Col.  Powel,  F.  M. 
Rotch  and  others.  The  first  volume  was  issued 
during  the  depression  of  the  "forties."  In  the 
meantime,  a  committee  of  breeders  had  been 
appointed  in  Kentucky  to  investigate  and  col- 
lect the  pedigrees  of  Short-horns  bred  in  that 
State.  The  results  of  this  committee's  investi- 
gations were  not  published,  but  supplied  a  basis 
for  further  research. 

When  Mr.  Allen  undertook  the  second  volume 
of  the  book,  after  the  revival  of  the  "fifties," 
he  met  with  good  encouragement,  the  book 
ultimately  appearing  in  the  autumn  of  1855 
with  something  like  3,000  pedigrees.*  The  lead- 
ing breeders  of  the  West  had  joined  with  those 
of  the  East  in  placing  the  work  squarely  upon 
its  feet.  Pedigrees  were  forwarded  from  Ken- 
tucky by  such  men  as1  Edwin  G.,  Benjamin  C. 
and  George  M.  Bedford;  Dr.  R.  J.  Brecken ridge, 
0.  H.  Burbidge;  Brutus  J.,  Cassius  M.,  M.  M. 
and  H.  Clay  Jr.;  Silas  Corbin,  the  Messrs.  Cun- 
ningham, R.  T.  Dillard,  Messrs.  Dudley,  Jere 
and  William  R.  Duncan,  J.  P.  Fisher,  John 
Allen  Gano,  the  Garrards,  James  and  Reuben 
Hutchcraft,  C.  W.  Innes,  George  W.  Johnson, 
J.  G.  Kinnaird,  Samuel  D.  Martin,  James  S. 
Matson,  A  brain  and  James  Renick,  the  Shakers, 
the  Shropshires,  the  Vanmeters,  Warfields  and 
others.  From  Ohio  came  the  pedigrees  of  the 

"This  total  includes  stock  recorded  as  produce  under  dams. 


BECGNB   PERIOD  OF   ACTIVITY.  285 

cattle  of  such  breeders  as  James  R.  Anderson, 
Ezra  and  Walter  T.  Carpenter,  R.  G.  Corwin; 
John  G.,  Walter  A.  and  Robert  G.  Dun;  James 
Fullington,  John  Hadley,  H.  H.  Hankins;  Chas., 
David  and  William  Harrold;  R.  Jackson,  Wil- 
liam Neff,  Jacob  Pierce;  Felix  W.,  George  and 
Harness  Renick;  M.  L.  Sullivant,  the  Shakers 
of  Union  Village,  Allen  Trimble  and  Alexander 
Waddle.  From  the  farther  West  ped  igrees  were 
received  —  indicating  that  the  Short  -  horns 
were  gradually  working  their  way  toward  the 
Mississippi  River — from  such  men  as  Hon.  John 
Wentworth  of  Chicago;  Capt.  James  N.  Brown 
and  James  D.  Smith  of  Sangamon  Co.,  111.; 
George  Barnett  of  Will  Co.,  111.,  and  Gen.  Sol 
Meredith  of  Cambridge  City,  Ind.  The  East 
contributed  largely  from  such  herds  as  those  of 
Samuel  Thorne,  S.  T.  Ta-ber,  S.  P.  Chapman, 
Messrs.  Cowles  and  Haines  of  Connecticut,  Wil- 
liam Kelly  of  New  York,  Paoli  Lathrop  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, John  R.  Page  of  New  York,  J.  A. 
Poole  of  New  Jersey,  T.  P.  Remington  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  J.  T.  Sheafe,  J.  M.  Sherwood,  Lor- 
illard  Spencer,  Ambrose  Stevens  and  others  of 
New  York. 

The  records  set  forth  in  these  initial  volumes 
were  not  in  all  cases  complete.  Errors  and 
even  forgeries  crept  in,  but  the  foundation  was 
laid.  Quickly  recognizing  the  necessity  of  such 
public  registration,  breeders  generally  co-oper- 


286        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ated  in  the  work  and  the  herd  book  soon  at- 
tained National  support.  It  was  continued  as 
a  private  enterprise  by  Mr.  Allen  until  1883, 
when  it  was  purchased  by  the  American  Short- 
horn Breeders'  Association. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


SOME  HISTORIC  KENTUCKY  STOCK. 

Thus  far  our  story  has  of  necessity  dealt 
mainly  with  foundation  facts.  We  have 
sketched  briefly  the  upbuilding  of  the  breed 
in  its  native  land  and  have  now  outlined  the 
importations  that  formed  the  basis  of  breeding 
operations  in  the  United  States.  We  pass, 
therefore,  at  this  point  to  a  consideration  of 
the  more  important  results  flowing  from  the 
extensive  introduction  of  English  blood  already 
noted. 

We  have  shown  that  the  Gough  &  Miller, 
Sanders,  Powel,  Dun  and  other  early  importa- 
tions were  utilized  to  the  fullest  possible  extent 
in  developing  cattle-feeding  as  a  leading  indus- 
try in  the  Ohio  Valley.  The  descendants  of 
those  importations  were  bred  before  the  days 
of  herd  books  and  "fashions"  purely  for  the 
practical  business  purposes  of  the  farm  and 
feed-lot.  As  illustrating  the  absence  of  preju- 
dice against  the  blood  of  the  older  importa- 
tions in  the  early  days,  it  may  be  mentioned 
that  at  a  sale  held  by  Samuel  Smith  in  Ken- 
tucky Sept.  11,  1838,  the  Mrs.  Motte  ("Seven- 

(237) 


288        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

teen")  cow  Cleopatra,  by  Accommodation 
(2907),  brought  $1,230,  and  her  daughter  Ellen, 
by  the  great  Powel  bull  Oliver  (2387),  $1,235- 
the  latter  bought  by  Dillard  &  Ferguson.  The 
bull  Oliver  Keene,  only  five  months  old,  fetched 
$1,000  from  William  P.  Hume.  At  same  sale 
Dillard  &  Ferguson  got  imp.  Adelaide  at  $1,375, 
and  imp.  Beauty  of  Wharfdale  went  for  $755. 
For  imp.  Mary  Ann  and  calf  Richard  Jackson 
and  B.  P.  Grey  paid  $2,100.  Evidently  the 
home-bred  stock  was  as  good  as  the  imported. 
This  fact  is  also  proved  by  the  show-yard  rec- 
ords of  that  period.*  It  is  apparent  from  the 
ratings  in  these  competitions  that  the  "Seven- 
teens"  were  of  good  form  and  character,  and 
that  the  Kentucky  breeders  had  kept  pace  up 
to  the  time  of  the  Ohio  Co.'s  operations  \vith 
the  work  of  their  brother-breeders  in  Britain. 

*  At  the  fair  at  Lexington,  September,  1834,  the  judges— H.  Clay,  James 
Renick,  Jacob  Hughes,  Isaac  Vanmeter  and  W.  P.  Hume— certainly  very 
competent  men— assigned  the  prizes  as  follows :  Aged  bulls— "Seventeens" 
both  first  and  second;  two-year-olds— "Seventeens"  both  first  and  second; 
yearlings— "Seventeens"  both  first  and  second;  bull  calves— first  to  a  "Sev- 
enteen," second  to  a  Patton.  Aged  cows— first  to  imp.  Caroline  (by  Dash- 
wood),  second  to  a  Powel  cow;  two-year-olds— "Seventeens"  both  first  and 
second;  yearlings— "Seventeens"  both  first  and  second;  calves— "Seven- 
teens"  first,  Dun  importation  second.  In  1835  about  the  same  result  was 
recorded.  The  old  stock  won  seven  first  prizes  and  six  second  prizes,  the 
newly-imported  stock  one  first  prize  and  two  seconds.  Coming  down  to 
1839,  at  the  Lexington  Fair  that  year  the  first-prize  aged  bull  came  from  the 
Smith  and  Dun  importation;  two-year-old,  from  the  Ohio  Co.'s;  yearling, 
from  Dun's;  calf,  Ohio  Co.'s;  two-year-old  heifer,  Ohio  Co.'s;  yearling, 
"Seventeen";  cow  calf,  "Seventeen."  In  1840:  Aged  bull,  Powel;  two- 
year-old,  Ohio  Co.;  yearling,  Ohio  Co.;  calf,  "Seventeen";  aged  cow,  "Sev- 
enteen"; two-year-old,  "Seventeen";  yearling,  "Seventeen";  calf,  "Sev- 
enteen." In  1841:  Aged  bull  (late  importation),  Letton's;  two-year-old, 
Letton's;  yearlings,  H.  Clay';  aged  cows,  "Seventeen";  two-year-old,  Ohio 
Co.;  yearling,  Letton's:  calf,  Ohio  Co. 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  289 

Such  bulls  as  Mr.  Button's  Frederick  575,  Capt. 
Warfielcl's  Pioneer  819,  Mr.  Wasson's  Otley 
(4632), .Mr.  Vanmeter's  Charles  Colling  333,  Dr. 
Kinnaird's  Patrick  Henry,  Capt.  Warfield's  Oli- 
ver (2387)  and  Cossack  (3503),  Cunningham  & 
Co.'s  Goldfinder  (2066)  and  Mr.  Renick's  Para- 
gon of  the  West  (4649)  were  prominent  among 
the  early  prize-winners.  Such  cows  as  Dr. 
Kinnaird's  Olivia,  Mr.  Dun's  Caroline,  Mr.  Let- 
ton's  lanthe,  Mr.  Vanmeter's  Hannah  More, 
Capt.  Cunningham's  Catherine  Turley  and  Capt. 
Warfield's  Helen  Eyre,  Ellen  Ware  and  the 
never-beaten  Caroline  would  be  a  credit  to 
any  modern  show-ring.  Large  numbers  of  the 
prize  animals  were  sired  by  Oliver,  Goldfinder 
and  Cossack. 

With  the  various  shipments  of  the  Ohio  Co., 
Vail,  Stevens,  Morris  &  Becar,  Thorne,  the 
Northern  Kentucky  Co.  and  R.  A.  Alexander, 
and  the  establishment  of  the  herd  book,  the 
question  of  "caste"  was  projected  into  the 
trade.  Time-honored  strains  were  presently 
sneered  at  by  some  who  had  invested  in  the 
blood  of  the  later  importations.  Bates  and  his 
followers  had  inoculated  some  of  the  American 
buyers  with  the  idea  of  a  select  Short-horn  ar- 
istocracy based  upon  the  "only  bloods  at  al) 
likely  to  do  anybody  any  good";  and  the  Amer- 
ican competition  at  the  Ducie  sale,  together 
with  the  prices  paid  by  Mr.  Thorne  for  the 


19 


290        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Grand  Dukes  and  the  Morris  &  Becar  cattle, 
had  attracted  very  general  attention  to  the 
Bates-bred  sorts. 

A  new  era  dawns.— By  the  time  Mr.  Alex- 
ander brought  the  first  Duchess  blood  to  Wood- 
burn  the  herds  of  Kentucky  had  attained  a  high 
degree  of  excellence.  Untrammeled  by  fash- 
ion, prejudice,  line  breeding  and  other  latter- 
day  problems  the  brothers  James  and  Abram 
Renick,  the  Vanmeters,  Warfields,  Bedfords, 
Clays,  Jere  Duncan,  Dr.  Breckenridge,  and 
their  contemporaries  on  both  sides  of  the 
Ohio  River,  had  developed  their  cattle  along 
practical  lines  until  they  would  bear  favorable 
comparison  with  the  parent  herds  of  York  and 
Durham.  They  had  been  free  to  follow  the 
dictates  of  their  own  individual  judgment,  re- 
gardless of  color,  blood  lines  or  aught  else- 
save  the  one  paramount  consideration  of  the 
practical  utility  of  their  stock.  They  were  sell- 
ing breeding  animals  to  go  into  Ohio,  Virginia, 
Indiana  and  Illinois,  and  with  the  creation  of 
the  great  herd  at  Woodburn  the  position  of 
Kentucky  as  the  center  of  Short-horn  breeding 
activity  in  America  was,  for  the  time  being, 
well  assured. 

With  the  advent  of  Mr.  Alexander's  Bates 
Duchess  bull  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730)  a 
new  era  may  be  said  to  have  dawned  in  West- 
ern Short-horn  breeding.  Notwithstanding  the 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  291 

fact  that  the  two  highest-priced  cows  sold  at 
auction  in  America  prior  to  the  Civil  War- 
imp.  Mazurka  and  imp.  Rachel  2d — were  repre- 
sentative of  Booth  blood  the  cross  of  the  Duke 
of  Airdrie  upon  the  Kentucky-bred  cows  proved 
so  satisfactory  that  the  Bates  cattle  straight- 
way attained  a  widespread  popularity.  As  the 
herds  of  the  Central  West — the  present  seat  of 
Short-horn  power  in  America — were  primarily 
founded  by  purchase,  mainly  in  Kentucky  after 
the  Duke  of  Airdrie's  use,  it  will  be  of  interest 
to  note  briefly  the  main  facts  concerning  his 
career. 

Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730).— It  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  this  impressive  Bates  Duchess  sire 
did  more  to  shape  the  course  of  Short-horn 
breeding  in  the  West  during  the  twenty  years 
following  his  importation  than  any  other  ani- 
mal of  that  period.  It  will  be  remembered 
(see  pages  266-268)  that  Mr.  Alexander  brought 
him  to  Kentucky  in  September,  1855.  He  was 
at  that  time  two  years  old.  He  was  immedi- 
ately put  in  service  in  Mr.  Alexander's  mag- 
nificent herd  of  cows  and  there  had  an  extra- 
ordinary opportunity.  In  March,  1857,  he  was 
let  for  a  year  to  George  M.  Bedford  of  Bourbon 
County,  under  a  contract  permitting  the  bull 
to  serve  fifty  cows,  for  a  net  sum  of  $1,250. 
Mr.  Alexander,  with  his  usual  generosity,  per- 
mitted substitutions  in  cases  where  cows  failed 


292        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

to  stand,  so  that  nearly  fifty  calves  were  se- 
cured during  the  year  he  was  on  hire  from 
Woodburn.  His  get  from  the  earlier  service  at 
Woodburn  proved  of  extraordinary  merit,  but 
his  work  while  at  Mr.  Bedford's  was  even  more 
remarkable.  While  in  Bourbon  County  he  was 
permitted  to  serve  some  cows  for  Abram  Ren- 
ick  and  Maj.  Jere  Duncan,  and  it  was  for  years 
asserted  that  these  services  from  the  Duke  of 
Airdrie  fairly  made  the  reputation  of  the  three 
breeders  named. 

Individually  Duke  of  Airdrie  was  perhaps  not 
the  equal  of  hi-s  sire,  Duke  of  Gloster  (11382), 
that  was  imported  by  Morris  &  Becar  into  New 
York.  He  inherited  from  the  Duke  a  lot  of 
quality  in  addition  to  long,  level  hind  quarters 
and  the  fault  of  prominent  hips;  but,  like  old 
Gloster,  he  proved  a  wonderfully  successful  sire 
of  good  bulls.  He  was  probably  not  above  the 
average  in  size,  with  a  short,  well-carried  head, 
rather  strong  horns  and  smoother  shoulders 
than  his  sire,  with  an  exceptionally  straight  and 
level  top.  He  would  probably  be  considered  at 
the  present  time  as  rather  too  high  from  the 
ground,  a  characteristic,  by  the  way,  that  has 
not  been  held  to  be  so  objectionable  by  many 
of  the  Kentucky  breeders  as  by  their  brethren 
of  the  North  and  West.*  He  was  never  kept  in 

*The  late  Gen.  Sol.  Meredith  of  Indiana  once  visited  Kentucky  to  see 
among-  other  noted  animals  the  $4,850  bull  imp.  Challenger  (14252),  of  Ducie's 
breeding,  a  son  of  the  4th  Duke  of  York  (10167),  owned  by  the  Vanmetera 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  293 

high  condition.  No  portrait  was  ever  made 
of  him  in  his  prime,  but  about  six  months  be- 
fore his  death,  when  he  was  very  low  in  flesh, 
Mr.  John  R.  Page  of  New  York  executed  an  oil 
"painting  of  him,  from  a  copy  of  which  the  pic- 
ture in  this  volume  has  been  prepared. 

George  M.Bedford's  lease  of  "The  Duke." 
—As  one  of  the  original  demonstrators  of  the 
Duke  of  Airdrie's  outstanding  value  as  a  sire, 
some  account  of  George  M.  Bedford's  career 
as  a  breeder  will  be  of  interest.  He  began 
about  1828  with  the  Long-horns  and  other 
crosses,  together  with  some  Patton  stock.  In 
1838  he  purchased  at  Gen.  Garrard's  sale  the 
"Seventeen"  bull  Eclipse,  for  which  he  paid 
the  sum  of  $688.*  In  1842  Mr.  Bedford  ac- 
quired an  interest  in  the  cow  Rosabella,  out  of 
imp.  Rose  by  Skipton,  which,  bred  to  Sir  Al- 
fred 969  (he  by  Rose  of  Sharon's  only  son  Par- 

and  Cunningham.  The  General  was  perhaps  the  tallest  breeder  of  Short- 
horns north  of  the  Ohio  River  at  this  time.  On  visiting  the  stalls  the  own- 
ers were  not  present,  but  the  herdsman  led  out  Challenger  for  the  big 
"  Hoosier's  "  examination.  While  thus  engaged  one  of  the  Vanmeters,  who 
himself  was  perhaps  over  six  feet  tall,  came  up  and  patiently  waiting  till 
the  General  was  through  and  had  ordered  the  bull  back  to  his  stall  ap- 
proached and  said:  "Well,  stranger,  you  have  given  him  a  close  look; 
what  do  you  think  of  him?  "  The  General  had  admired  the  bull  in  many  of 
his  points,  and  after  mentioning  these  concluded  by  saying  that  he  thought 
the  bull  was  "  rather  too  high  from  the  ground."  Mr.  Vanmeter,  looking  up 
at  the  towering  Indianian,  said:  "  Well,  sir,  I  think  you  are  the  last  man  on 
the  ground  that  should  find  that  objection  to  the  bull." 

*  At  this  same  sale  Hon.  B  J  Clay  and  Mr  Hutchcraft  paid  $1,830  for  the 
bull  Exception  (374«),  which  Mr  Bedford  considered  the  best  "Seventeen" 
he  ever  saw.  Indeed,  upon  being  asked  in  his  later  years  how  Exception 
would  compare  with  the  best  Short-horns  of  the  present,  he  answered.- 
"Well,  sir, .1  should  have  to  call  him  a  good  bull  even  now." 


294        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

agon  of  the  West  out  of  a  daughter  of  Mr. 
Dun's  imp.  Red  Rose  by  Ernesty),  produced 
the  prolific  white  heifer  California,  from  which, 
by  the  use  of  such  bulls  as  D'Otley  432,  King 
Cyrus  609,  etc.,  Mr.  Bedford  bred  his  afterward 
celebrated  family  of  Brides.  About  1853  he 
bought  three  females  descended  from  Abram 
Renick's  imp.  Harriet;  and  about  the  same 
time,  in  connection  with  Messrs.  Clay  and  Dun- 
can, purchased  the  imported  bull  Diamond  at 
the  Northern  Kentucky  Co.'s  sale  at  $6,000. 
This  proved  an  unfortunate  investment,  as  Dia- 
mond failed  to  breed.  The  red  bull  King 
Cyrus,  bought  of  Mr.  Renick,  was  sired  by  Ren- 
ick  903  out  of  a  granddaughter  of  imp.  Har- 
riet, and  proved  a  remarkable  stock-getter.* 
In  1854  Mr.  Bedford  and  Abram  Renick  had 
bargained,  at  the  United  States  Cattle  Show  in 

*In  connection  with  the  illustration  of  King  Cyrus,  which  appears  at 
page  106,  Vol.  II,  of  the  American  Herd  Book,  a  good  story  is  told.  If  the 
reader  will  look  at  this  picture,  it  will  be  seen  that  just  behind  the  bull's 
fore  legs  and  above  his  back  are  the  faint  outlines  of  another  picture  which 
has  been  practically  obliterated  by  the  engraver.  The  other  picture  was 
that  of  a  negro  herdsman  who  had  been  in  Mr.  Bedford's  employ  for  many 
years.  King  Cyrus,  when  being  shown,  had  a  habit  of  "  humping  "  his  back, 
and  the  colored  herdsman  upon  such  occasions  would  Invariably  be  found 
busy  with  his  cloth  rubbing  him  down,  as  strangers  would  suppose.  In 
reality  he  was  pincl.ing  the  bull's  back  to  keep  it  straight.  Mr.  Page  went 
to  Mr.  Bedford's  to  sketch  the  bull.  In  showing  the  drawing  to  certain 
other  breeders  one  of  the  party,  with  a  view  toward  a  little  fun,  said:  "  The 
picture  is  all  right,  but  it  would  be  much  improved  if  you  would  sketch  the 
'  darky,'  who  always  shows  him,  with  his  hand  on  the  bull's  back."  Page 
thought  this  would  make  a  good  background  and  sketched  in  the  picture  of 
the  herdsman.  After  the  picture  was  engraved  and  sent  to  Mr.  Bedford  he 
of  course  took  great  offense  at  what  had  been  done,  and  when  Page  found 
there  was  something  wrong  lie  "  squared  "  himself  as  best  he  could  by 
having  the  herdsman's  figure  obliterated.  He  drew  no  more  pictures,  how- 
ever, for  George  M.  Bedford. 


SOME    HISTORIC   KENTUCKY   STOCK.  295 

Ohio,  with  Messrs.  Coulter  for  the  imported 
Booth  bull  Warrior  (12287),  but  for  some  rea- 
son the  sale  failed  to  go  through.  The  incident 
is  of  interest  as  illustrating  the  fact  that  at 
that  date  the  great  Kentucky  breeders  had  not 
acquired  that  fondness  for  Bates  blood  that 
afterward  characterized  their  breeding  opera- 
tions. 

At  the  time  the  Duke  of  Airdrie  was  hired 
by  Mr.  Bedford  he  owned  a  small  herd  of  Har- 
riets, Brides,  Britannias  and  the  cow  Goodness 
3d,  by  Senator  2d.  The  cow  last  named  dropped 
'to  the  Duke  of  Airdrie  the  1st  and  2d  Duch- 
esses of  Goodness,  from  which  Mr.  Bedford 
bred  his  remarkable  family  of  that  name.  Mr. 
Bedford  was  considered  one  of  the  best  judges 
not  only  of  breeding  cattle  but  of  steers  (of 
which  he  fed  a  large  number  in  his  time),  and 
it  may  be  remarked  in  passing  that  he  consid- 
ered imp.  Goodness  (of  Mason  blood)  of  the 
Northern  Kentucky  Co.'s  importation  of  1853 
as  the  best  cow  of  that  famous  importation, 
although  Mazurka  outsold  her  by  $1,000.  He 
was  so  delighted  with  the  Duke  of  Airdrie'sget 
that  he  afterward  purchased  from  Mr.  Alexan- 
der the  first  bull  calf  sired  by  the  Duke  at 
Wooclburn — Bell  Duke  of  Airdrie  2552,  out  of 
Lady  Bell  by  2d  Duke  of  Athol.  Bell  Duke  of 
Airdrie  had  a  remarkable  career  in  the  show- 
ring,  winning,  among  other  notable  prizes,  the 


296        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-JJORN   CATTLE. 


$1,000  sweepstake  at  £i  JMOofc  in  1858  and  the 
championship  at  same  show  in  1860.  The  Har- 
riet cow  Atossa,  by  King  Cyrus,  to  a  service  by 
the  imported  Duke  dropped  Grand  Duke  2933, 
that  was  also  a  St.  Louis  winner  as  a  two-year- 
old. 

Mr.  Bedford  was  a  man  of  very  decided  con- 
victions and  prejudices  and  was  not  always 
consistent.  He  became  a  great  opponent  of 
the  "Seventeeris"  and  found  fault  with  the 
breeding  of  some  of  the  Louans.  At  the  same 
time  his  own  cattle  of  that  family  had  the 
cross  of  Dun's  imp.  Red  Rose  by  Ernesty;  while 
his  beautiful  Brides  and  his  Zoras  went  direct 
to  Rose  by  Skipton.  It  was  largely  on  account 
of  Mr.  Bedford's  caustic  criticism  of  these  other 
strains  that  the  late  Mr.  Parks  of  Glen  Flora 
(Illinois)  raised  the  question  of  the  purity  of 
the  breeding  of  the  Dun  importation  —  a  strik- 
ing exemplification  of  the  fact  that  people  who 
occupy  glass  houses  should  not  throw  stones  at 
their  neighbors'  roofs.  George  M.  Bedford  was 
an  eminently  successful  producer  of  good  cat- 
tle, but  the  love  of  Bates  blood  engendered  by 
his  successful  use  of  the  Duke  of  Airdrie  and 
his  sons  finally  drew  him  into  unfortunate 
pedigree  speculations  in  that  line  of  breeding. 

Jere  Duncan  and  Duke  of  Airdrie  2743.— 
Prominent  among  the  great  bulls  sired  by  imp. 
Duke  of  Airdrie  while  at  Mr.  Bedford's  was  Maj. 


SOME   HISTORIC   KENTUCKY   STOCK.  297 

Jere  Duncan's  Duke  of  Airdrie  2743.  Duncan 
was  the  originator  of  a  family  of  cattle  known 
as  the  Louans,  that  played  a  prominent  part  in 
Ohio,  Kentucky  and  Western  breeding  herds 
and  show-rings  for  many  years,  gaining  many 
championship  prizes  and  commanding  great 
prices.  The  original  cow  of  that  name  was 
bred  by  Georgo  H.  Williams  and  was  sired  by 
imp.  Otley  (4632).  She  produced  eight  calves, 
including  the  famous  show  bull  Perfection  810, 
sold  to  E.  G.  Bedford.  In  Duncan's  hands  was 
another  family  of  Powel  origin  known  as  the 
Rubys.  Both  sorts  were  bred  to  such  bulls  as 
D'Otley  432,  Prince  Albert  2d  857  and  Sir  Al- 
fred 969,  and  one  of  the  Ruby  cows,  bred  to  the 
latter,  produced  the  famous  prize  cow  Nannie 
Williams.  Her  sire,  Sir  Alfred,  was  one  of  the 
noted  bulls  of  his  time,  and  was  bred  by  Dr. 
Kinnaird  of  Fayette  Co.,  from  Paragon  of  the 
West  (4649)  and  the  handsome  and  prolific  Red 
Rose  (by  Ernesty)  cow  Mira.  He  was  sold  when 
about  two  years  old  to  Messrs.  Bedford  of  Bour- 
bon County,  and  was  described  as  a  light  roan, 
with  straight  top  and  bottom  lines,  good  head, 
smooth  shoulders,  fine  heart-girth,  broad  ribs, 
good  flank  and  level  quarters.  He  sired  many 
valuable  cattle  while  in  Bourbon  County,  in- 
cluding Mr.  Bedford's  cow  California,  already 
mentioned,  but  owes  his  fame  largely  to  Nan- 
nie Williams.  Sir  Alfred  was  owned  for  a  time 


298        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

by  James  S.  Duncan,  son  of  Maj.  Duncan,  but 
becoming  "breechy"  was  given  to  a  relative  in 
Tennessee  and  died  while  en  route  to  that  State. 

Duke  of  Alrdrie  2743,  dropped  by  Nannie  Wil- 
liams in  February,  1858,  to  a  service  by  imp. 
Duke  of  Airdrie,  proved  a  first-class  show  bull, 
winning  a  championship  as  a  two-year-old  at 
the  Bourbon  County  Fair  in  1860.  He  was  sec- 
ond at  the  Ohio  State  Fair  the  same  year  and 
second  at  the  United  States  Fair  as  well.  As  a 
three-year-old  he  swept  the  decks  at  the  Fay- 
ette,  Bourbon  and  Harrison  Co.  (Ky.)  Fairs,  and 
in  1863  was  first-prize  and  champion  bull  at  the 
Kentucky  State  Show.  In  1866,  at  eight  years 
of  age,  he  won  first  prize  as  the  best  aged  bull 
at  the  Bourbon  County  Fair.  One  of  his  sons, 
Duncan's  Airdrie  5615,  a  Louan,  was  a  first-prize 
and  champion  bull  at  the  leading  Kentucky  and 
Ohio  shows  from  1865  to  1873 ;  but  as  a  sire  Dun- 
can's Duke  was  specially  distinguished  as  a 
heifer-getter,  fairly  making  the  reputation  of 
the  Louans;  specimens  of  which  for  many  years 
were  great  prize-winners  at  leading  shows. 
He  was  the  bull  to  which  Mr.  Warfield  bred 
Miss  Wiley  4th,  securing  from  that  service  the 
great  show  cow  London  Duchess  2d. 

Abram  Renick  and  Airdrie  2478. —  None 
profited  more  largely  by  the  services  of  imp. 
Duke  of  Airdrie  than  Mr.  Abram  Kenick,  who 
sent  his  Rose  of  Sharon  show  cow  Duchess,  by 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  299 

Buena  Vista  299,  to  be  bred  to  the  Woodburn 
Duke.  The  issue  was  the  celebrated  Airdrie 
2478 — the  bull  that  made  the  reputation  of  Mr. 
Renick  and  hi's  Rose  of  Sharon  tribe. 

Abram  Renick,  who  was  of  the  same  family 
as  the  Ohio  Renicks,  had  been  a  member  of  the 
original  Ohio  Importing  Co.,  and  bred  Short- 
horns for  a  number  of  years  in  connection  with 
his  brother  James.  They  owned  imp.  Harriet, 
imp.  Illustrious  and  imp.  Josephine,  and  had 
bought  in  Ohio  the  heifer  Thames,  by  Shake- 
speare 961  out  of  Lady  of  the  Lake,  daughter 
of  imp.  Rose  of  Sharon  by  Belvedere — for  which 
cow  Mr.  Renick  paid  Mr.  Bates  in  England  $700. 
From  Thames  descended  the  entire  Renick  Rose 
of  Sharon  family.  The  blood  of  these  Ohio  cows 
was  more  or  less  intermingled  during  the  ear- 
lier years  of  Mr.  Renick's  breeding.  That  of 
imp.  Illustrious  was  utilized  through  the  me- 
dium of  such  bulls  as  Young  Comet  Halley 
1134  and  Ashland  220;  the  Harriet  blood 
through  Pilot  817,  and  that  of  imp.  Josephine 
through  Buena  Vista  299,  the  inbred  Josephine 
Renick  903  and  General  Winfield  Scott  530. 
Rose  of  Sharon's  blood  came  in  not  only 
through  her  granddaughter  Thames  but  in  the 
bull  line  through  the  imported  cow's  only  sonr 
Paragon  of  the  West  (4649).  Thames  had  been 
bred  in  1845  and  1846  to  Prince  Charles  2d  861, 
tracing  to  imp.  Blossom  by  Fitz  Favorite  (1042). 


300        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

The  progeny  in  the  one  case  was  the  heifer  Red 
Rose  and  in  the  other  the  heifer  Dorothy.  Red 
Rose,  bred  to  Ashland,  produced  the  roan  Poppy 
in  18499  and  she  in  turn,  bred  to  Renick  903, 
gave  birth  in  1853  to  the  light  roan  heifer 
Norah.  Red  Rose,  bred  to  Buena  yista,*  pro- 
duced in  1850  the  red-and-white  heifer  Duch- 
ess, that  afterward  became  the  dam  of  Airdrie 
2478.  A  few  cows  were  also  bred  to  the  Tan- 
queray  bull  John  o'  Gaunt  (11621),  imported 
into  Bourbon  County  by  Mr.  Matson  in  1852. 
To  a  service  by  this  bull  Duchess  produced  in 
1853  the  heifer  Ophelia.  These  cows  were 
among  the  noted  matrons  of  the  Rose  of  Sha- 
ron family  in  the  Renick  herd. 

Airdrie  2478  was  a  red,  with  little  white,  of 
only  medium  size.  In  good  thrifty  breeding 
condition  he  weighed  about  1,900  Ibs.  at  full 
maturity.  He  was  repeatedly  shown  by  Mr. 
Renick,  but  was  never  made  fat  enough  to 
weigh  more  than  2,100  Ibs.,  although  he  could 
have  been  made  to  carry  2,200  Ibs.  in  excess- 
ively high  flesh.  He  was  very  symmetrical  in 
conformation;  smooth,  neat  arid  stylish,  with 
no  serious  faults.  Airdrie  may  safely  be  listed 
as  one  of  America's  greatest  progenitors  of 
valuable  Short-horns;  imparting  finish  and 

*  Buena  Vista's  sire  was  the  grand  bull  Cossack,  alias  Julius  Caesar 
(3503),  bred  by  Mr.  Clay  and  sold  to  B.  Warfleld.  Cossack  (3503)  was  by  Cos, 
sack  (1880),  bred  by  Richard  Booth  at  Studley  from  the  old  Killerby  Moss 
Rose  tribe. 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  301 

quality  with  a  rare  degree  of  uniformity  to  his 
progeny.  Like  his  sire,  the  imported  Duke, 
he  was  more  impressive  as  a  stock-getter 
than  as  an  individual  animal.  Duncan's  Duke 
of  Airdrie,  as  already  noted,  proved  a  won- 
derful heifer-getter,  but  Airdrie  2478  gained 
lasting  fame  as  a  sire  of  bulls.  He  was  used 
by  Mr.  Renick  for  a  period  of  about  twelve 
years  to  the  fullest  possible  extent,  the  only 
limit  to  his  service  in  the  herd  being  placed 
upon  his  own  daughters,  some  of  which  were 
afterward  bred  with  success  to  the  13th  Duke 
of  Airdrie  5535;  the  splendid  cow  Poppy  5th 
being  thus  produced.  For  several  generations 
none  but  sons  and  grandsons  of  Airdrie  or  imp. 
Duke  of  Airdrie  were  kept  in  service. 

Airdrie  a  bull -breeder. — Among  Airdrie's 
greatest  sons  may  be  mentioned  Sweepstakes 
6230,  afterward  famous  in  the  show  herd  of  Mr. 
Pickrell  of  Illinois;  Joe  Johnson  10294;  the  in- 
bred Airdrie  3d  13320  out  of  Duchess  2d  by  Pi- 
lot— all  Rose  of  Sharons;  and  Van  meter's  Dick 
Taylor  5508  and  Airdrie  Duke  5306;  both  great 
hoifer-rjootcrs,  out  of  the  Young  Phyllis  cows 
Ruth  and  Ruth  2d.  Sweepstakes'  remarkable 
career  in  the  West  will  be  noticed  further  on. 
Joe  Johnson  was  almost  a  fac  simile  of  Sweep- 
stakes, the  only  difference  being  that  the  for- 
mer was  rather  a  finer  bull.  They  were  both 
exceedingly  successful  in  the  show-yard.  Joe 


302        A   HISTORY   OF   SHOUT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Johnson  once  gained  a  champion  prize  at  the 
Bourbon  County  Fair,  with  something  over 
twenty  bulls  in  the  ring,  probably  as  good  a  lot 
as  were  ever  shown  at  one  time  in  the  State.* 
About  the  only  objection  that  was  urged 
against  either  of  these  bulls  was  their  color. 
The  "craze"  for  red  cattle  was  already  setting 
in,  and  both  Sweepstakes  and  Joe  Johnson  had 
too  much  white  to  suit  the  public  taste.  They 
had  white  spots  to  the  extent  of  perhaps  one- 
fourth  of  their  entire  color.  Airdrie  3d  was 
quite  a  successful  show  bull  also.  Had  he  been 
as  perfect  behind  as  he  was  in  front  he  would 
have  been  fairly  invincible.  At  one  time  bulls 
sired  by  Airdrie  were  gaining  prizes  at  all  of 
the  best  fairs  of  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Missouri 
and  Illinois  almost  without  defeat. 

Inbreeding  of  the  Rose  of  Sharons. — Mr. 
Renick  was  so  pleased  with  the  results  of  Air- 
drie's  use  that  he  adopted  a  comprehensive 
course  of  in-and-in  breeding,  using  the  sons 
and  grandsons  of  the  bull  for  many  years  with 
great  success,  attracting  the  attention  of  the 
entire  cattle-breeding  world.  John  Thornton, 
the  veteran  Short-horn  salesman  of  England, 

*  Joe  Johnson  was  a  successful  prize-taker  in  Kentucky,  and  also  stood 
at  the  head  of  the  $300  prize  herd,  composed  wholly  of  Rose  of  Sharons,  at 
the  Ohio  State  Fair  of  1870.  He  was  the  sire— among  other  high-priced  cat- 
tle—of the  heifer  Duchess  10th,  sold  in  1872  to  Earl  Dunmore  at  $5,000.  He 
represented  a  double  cross  of  imp.  Duke  of  Aird^ie,  having  been  sired  by 
Airdrie  2478  out  of  Cordelia  by  Dandy  Duke  2691.  The  latter  was  a  red-roan 
bull  Mr.  Renick  had  secured  by  breeding  Easterday  (daughter  of  Poppy) 
bv  Pilot  817,  to  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730) 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  303 

who  visited  America  after  the  Airdrie  blood  had 
been  thoroughly  concentrated  in  the  Renick 
herd,  said: 

"  I  saw  the  bull  Airdrie,  rising  thirteen  years  old,  a  magnificent 
animal,  not  too  large  but  exceedingly  symmetrical,  stylish  and 
handsome,  with  a  splendid  head  and  fine  masculine  character. 
The  cows  and  heifers  were  called  from  the  fields  by  a  lot  of  negroes 
—men,  wonien  and  children— and  it  was  wonderful  to  observe  the 
singular  uniformity  and  great  excellence  of  the  cattle  as  they 
walked  past  to  a  corner  of  the  field  where  they  stood  to  be  milked. 
The  heifers,  mostly  by  Airdrie,  were  splendid  animals,  combining 
great  length,  elegance  and  sweetness  of  character  with  rich  full 
colors,  roan  or  red  hair,  good  form  and  great  substance.  Some  of 
the  older  cows  were  thinner  and  slightly  lame.,  owing,  as  it  was 
said,  to  the  thick  cornstalks  fastening  in  their  hoofs.  The  calves 
were  also  good,  and  two  or  three  young  bulls  were  of  great  prom- 
ise. Seeing  how  very  superior  this  herd  'was  and  how  closely  it 
was  in-and-in  bred  I  was  induced  to  ask  Mr.  Renick  how  he  came 
to  take  sucn  a  course.  He  told  me  he  took  up  the  herd  books  and 
saw  what  Colling,  Mason  and  other  early  breeders  had  done,  and 
he  thought  he  would  do  the  same  thing;  his  neighbors  thought  he 
would  i*uin  his  stock,  but  he  thought  that  he  had  got  quite  as  good 
as  any  of  them." 

At  the  time  of  Mr.  Thornton's  visit  (1869) 
every  animal  in  the  herd  was  of  Mr.  Renick's 
own  breeding.  Not  only  that,  but  their  dams, 
grandams,  great-grandams  and  even  great- 
great-grandams  had  been  bred  on  the  farm- 
certainly  a  fact  unique  in  the  history  of  Short- 
horn breeding  in  the  United  States.  For  years 
he  declined  to  part  with  any  Rose  of  Sharon 
females  at  any  valuation,  but  latterly  high 
prices  tempted  him  to  do  so.  He  has  generally 
been  regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  construc- 
tive breeders  ever  identified  with  Short-horn 
breeding  in  America.  A  disciple  of  Thomas 


304        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Bates,  and  like  that  famous  breeder  without 
immediate  family,  Mr.  Renick  was  thoroughly 
devoted  to  his  cattle  and  made  them  the  sub- 
ject of  his  most  untiring  personal  attention.* 
He  was  always  partial  to  the  golden-skinned 
yellow-reds,  and  insisted  that  Short-horns  of 
that  color  were  invariably  better  feeders  and 
possessed  more  quality  than  the  dark  reds,  in 
which  contention  he  had  the  unanimous  acqui- 
escence of  the  most  experienced  breeders.  Of 
his  subsequent  purchase  and  use  of  the  4th 
Duke  of  Geneva  we  shall  have  occasion  to  speak 
elsewhere.  The  mingling  of  the  Duchess  blood 
with  that  of  the  Rose  of  Sharons,  thus,  reunit- 
ing the  Bates  lines,  proved  in  this  case  a  suc- 

*  Visitors  at  shows  where  Mr.  Renick  was  exhibiting  his  cattle  were 
very  apt  to  find  him  feeding-  or  currying  his  stock  with  his  own  hands.  He 
was  particularly  wrapped  up  in  old  Airdrie,  and  upon  such  occasions  would 
usually  be  found  near  him.  Perhaps  the  best  show  Mr.  Renick  ever  made 
was  the  year  that  the  Kentucky  State  Fair  was  held  in  Bourbon  County.  He 
had  an  exhibit  in  nearly  every  ring  and  never  came  out  without  a  ribbon, 
usually  a  blue  one.  In  some  classes  he  gained  both  first  and  second.  One 
of  the  best  exhibits  he  made  at  this  show  was  for  a  prize  for  bull  with  five 
or  six  of  his  get.  He  had  taken  Airdrie  up  out  of  the  pasture  without  prep- 
aration, and  with  him  and  his  progeny  won  the  group  prize  over  a  number 
of  competitors.  Airdrie  was  then  eight  or  nine  years  old. 

Speaking  of  this  event  Mr.  Ben  F.  Vanmeter  says:  "I  do  not  think  I 
ever  saw  Mr.  Renick  enjoy  a  day  more  than  he  did  this  one.  As  he  came 
out  of  the  ring  leading  old  Airdrie  a  gentleman  from  Ohio  sent  an  intimate 
friend  of  Uncle  Abe's  to  me  with  a  request  that  I  go  with  him  to  see  if  we 
could  not  get  a  price  on  the  old  bull.  I  told  him  it  was  a  waste  of  time,  but 
he  insisted  and  we  went.  We  readily  found  Mr.  Renick,  and  my  friend 
Taylor  lost  no  time  in  broaching  the  subject.  The  old  man  was  at  first  al 
most  ready  to  take  it  as  an  insult.  Then  he  suspected  us  of  playing  a  jeke 
on  him.  Taylor  finally  tolcl  him  that  he  considered  the  bull  nearly  worn 
out,  but  was  satisfied  that  his  Ohio  friend  would  give  $1,000  for  him.  The 
old  man  then  straightened  himself  up  two  or  three  inches  above  his  nor- 
mal height  and  with  his  fist  tightly  closed  and  eyes  flashing  exclaimed; 
"  A  national  bank  can't  buy  him!  If  I  outlive  him  he  will  die  mine." 


SOME    HISTORIC   KENTUCKY    STOCK.  305 

cessful  operation;  a  fine  illustration  being  seen 
in  the  case  of  the  celebrated  pair  of  "Genevas," 
Minnie's  Duchess*  of  Geneva  and  Poppy's  Duch- 
ess of  Geneva,  familiarly  known  as  "Big  Gen- 
eva" and  "Little  Geneva,"  sired  by  2d  Duke  of 
Geneva.*  These  fine  cows  had  a  remarkable 
show-yard  career,  "Little  Geneva"  usually 
winning  the  blue  ribbon  and  her  larger  sister 
the  red  whenever  exhibited.  They  rarely  low- 
ered their  colors  in  any  company. 

The  Vanmeters.— The  State  of  Kentucky 
was  fortunate  in  possessing  distinguished  fam- 
ilies of  Short-horn  breeders  who,  like  the 
Messrs.  Booth  in  England,  displayed  an  heredi- 
tary love  for  the  cattle  and  for  several  succeed- 
ing generations  bred  Short-horns  with  a  high 
degree  of  skill  and  intelligence.  We  have 
already  noted  the  prominent  part  played  by 
Messrs.  George,  Felix  and  Abram  Kenick  and 
may  now  mention  the  Vanmeters  as  worthy  of 
rank  among  those  who  contributed  most  to  the 
extension  of  Short-horn  breeding  in  the  West. 
To  them  the  West  is  indebted  for  the  Young 
Marys  and  Young  Phyllises  to  be  found  in  al- 
most every  good  herd. 

About  the  year  1817  Mr.  Isaac  Vanmeter,  who 
was  a  native  of  Hardy  Co.,  Va. — in  the  valley 

*2d  Duke  of  Geneva  55C2  was  bred  by  J.  O.  Sheldon  and  bought  by  Edwin 
Bedford,  whose  success  with  the  London  Duchesses,  etc.,  gave  him  rank 
among  the  leading  Kentucky  breeders  of  his  time.  The  2d  Duke  died 
young-,  leaving1  a  limited  number  of  calves,  but  they  were  as  a  rule  excep- 
tionally good. 


306        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

of  the  South  Branch  of  the  Potomac — emi- 
grated to  Kentucky  and  soon  afterward  mar- 
ried a  daughter  of  Capt.  Isaac  Cunningham, 
another  Virginian  who  had  purchased,  early  in 
the  present  century,  the  farm  and  some  of  the 
stock  of  Mr.  Matthew  Patton,  who  had  intro- 
duced the  Gough  &  Miller  blood  into  Kentucky. 
The  elder  Vanmeter  and  Capt.  Cunningham 
formed  a  partnership  for  the  purpose  of  carry- 
ing on  farming  and  cattle-breeding  operations 
in  Clark  Co.,  Ky.,  and  in  1834  they  took  stock 
in  the  newly-organized  Ohio  Importing  Co.,  ac- 
quiring from  that  company's  selections  imp. 
Young  Mary,  with  heifer  calf  Pocahontas;  imp. 
Young  Phyllis,  with  heifer  calf  Catherine  Tur- 
ley,  and  imp.  Lavinia,  together  with  the  bull 
Goldfinder  (2066).  Capt.  Cunningham  also  pur- 
chased an  interest  in  imp.  Matchem  (2283). 
Prior  to  this  time  Messrs.  Vanmeter  &  Cun- 
ningham had  bred  for  some  twenty  years  a 
large  herd  principally  descended  from  the  orig- 
inal Patton  stock,  upon  which  had  been  used, 
among  others,  the  noted  bull  Rising  Sun.*  La- 

*  Capt  Cunningham  died  in  1842,  making1  the  sons  of  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Solomon  Vanmeter,  executors  of  a  good  estate,  Mr.  Isaac  Vanmeter  died  in 
18i4,  leaving1  his  son,  Ben  F.  Vanmeter,  then  but  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
sole  executor  of  an  estate  quite  as  large  as  that  left  by  Capt.  Cunningham. 
Mr.  Ben  P.  Vanmeter's  elder  brother,  Solomon,  who  died  at  forty  years  of 
age,  proved  himself  also  a  most  capable  breeder  and  when  the  Northern 
Kentucky  Importing  Co.  was  organized  in  1853  he  was  selected  as  Clark 
County's  representative  upon  the  committee  sent  to  England  to  buy  the 
cattle  constituting  that  memorable  purchase,  Ben  F,  Vanmeter  was  a 
mere  lad  at  this  date  attending  college  at  Danville,  Ky,  Learning  of  the 
proposed  expedition  to  England  after  cattle,  he  pleaded  earnestly  to  be 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  307 

vinia,  after  producing  a  bull  calf,  died,  but 
Young  Phyllis  and  Young  Mary  proved  among 
the  most  useful  cows  of  the  breed  ever  brought 
to  America.  As  in  the  case  of  the  Renick  herd, 
the  blending  of  the  blood  of  these  Ohio  Co. 
cows  with  that  of  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  re- 
sulted in  the  production  of  an  excellent  class 
of  cattle. 

Young  Phyllis. — This  cow  ranked  as  one  of 
the  best  of  her  day  in  America.  In  fact  she  has 
repeatedly  been  called  the  best  of  all  Short- 
horn cows  of  her  time  owned  in  the  State  of 
Kentucky.  Unfortunately  she  died  young,  leav- 
ing but  three  or  four  calves.  She  produced,  be- 
sides Catherine  Turley,  a  heifer  named  Eliza 
Woods,  by  Matchem,  and  the  prize  bull  John 
Randolph  603,  by  Goldfinder.  Eliza  Woods  was 
rather  disappointing  as  an  individual,  although 
some  excellent  cattle  descended  from  her.  Her 
sire,  Matchem,  was  a  large,  stylish  bull ;  rather 
coarse  in  his  conformation  and  of  a  vicious  dis- 
position. Quite  a  number  of  his  get  were  un- 
popular on  account  of  their  dark-colored  noses. 
Catherine  Turley  is  said  to  have  been  a  cow  of 
fine  character.  She  was  much  inclined  to  make 


allowed  to  leave  school  and  accompany  the  committee.  He  was  given  the 
choice  of  either  gx>in?*  or  remaining1  and  graduating-  that  spring.  Without 
hesitation  he  abandoned  his  aspirations  in  reference  to  a  diploma  and 
accompanied  his  brother  upon  a  tour  of  the  Short-horn  herds  of  Great 
Britain.  In  later  years  he  attained  international  reputation  not  only  aa  a 
breeder  of  high-class  cattle  of  the  Vanmeter  tribes,  but  also  in  connection 
with  the  notable  operations  of  Abrar-i  Renick  with  the  Rose  of  Sharons. 


308        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

flesh  and  unfortunately  was  allowed  to  become 
so  fat  that  she  stopped  breeding.  From  her  de- 
scended such  famous  bulls  as  Dick  Taylor  5508, 
Airdrie  Duke  5306,  Clarendon  2634,  Mr.  Pick- 
rell's  $3,000  Baron  Lewis  and  many  other  old- 
time  celebrities. 

Dick  Taylor  5508  was  one  of  the  best  stock- 
getters  produced  by  the  Phyllis  family.  He 
was  a  red,  bred  by  Dr.  J.  J.  Taylor  and  Abram 
Vanmeter,  and  represented  a  peculiarly  rich 
combination  of  the  best  blood  introduced  into 
the  Ohio  Valley  up  to  the  time  of  his  produc- 
tion in  1863.  Sired  by  the  Duke  of  Airdrie- 
crossed  Rose  of  Sharon  bull  Airdrie  2478,  he 
had  for  darn  Ruth  by  the  $4,850  bull  imp.  Chal- 
lenger (14252);  second  dam  Maria  Edgeworth 
by  Arthur  Watts'  Prince  Albert  2d  857,  carry- 
ing much  of  the  best  of  the  Ohio  Importing 
Co.'s  blood;  and  his  third  dam,  Susan  Turley, 
was  by  Cossack  (3503),  son  of  the  richly-bred 
Booth  bull  Cossack  (1880),  that  will  be  remem- 
bered as  the  sire  of  Abram  Renick's  Buena 
Vista  299.  Dick  Taylor  proved  particularly  suc- 
cessful when  mated  with  the  descendants  of 
imp.  Young  Mary.  Indeed  one  branch  of  that 
tribe  became  so  celebrated  throughout  the  West 
that  it  was  given  (and  still  bears)  his  name.  He 
was  repeatedly  shown  with  success,  and  upon 
one  occasion  gained  a  $100  sweepstake  against 
several  of  the  most  noted  sires  of  the  day  for 


SOME    HISTORIC   KENTUCKY    STOCK.  309 

best  five  calves  the  get  of  one  bull.  We  can- 
not in  the  space  at  our  command  make  detailed 
reference  to  the  many  distinguished  animals 
sired  by  Dick  Taylor.  We  should,  however,  per- 
haps mention  his  two  sons,  Washington  9284 
and  Dick  Taylor  2d  16637,  bred  by  the  Messrs. 
Sudduth.  The  former  belonged  to  the  Leslie 
branch  of  the  Marys,  tracing  from  the  show  cow 
Hannah  More,  and  won  a  great  many  first  and 
sweepstakes  prizes  at  the  Kentucky  shows  from 
1869  to  1871.  Dick  Taylor  2d,  a  few  years  later, 
was  one  of  the  ruling  show-yard  champions  of 
Kentucky  and  was  sold  for  $1,100. 

Airdrie  Duke  5306,  like  Dick  Taylor,  was  a 
red  son  of  Mr.  Renick's  Airdrie  2478.  His  dam, 
the  Phyllis  cow  Ruth  2d,  was  by  Mr.  Alexander's 
famous  prize  bull  exp.  2d  Duke  of  Airdrie  2744, 
so  that  he  represented  a  double  cross  of  the  Air- 
drie-Duchess  blood.  Airdrie  Duke  was  bred  by 
Abram  Vanmefcer,  and  was  one  of  the  great 
heifer-getters  of  Kentucky  in  the  later  sixties. 
Like  Dick  Taylor,  he  made  a  pronounced  "hit" 
when  mated  with  the  Marys.  His  greatest 
daughter  was  probably  Ben  F.  Vanmeter's  re- 
nowned Young  Mary  show  cow  Red  Rose  8th, 
the  best  Short-horn  cow  Mr.  Vanmeter  ever 
bred.  Another  celebrated  show  cow  got  by  Air- 
drie Duke  was  the  roan  Phoebe  Taylor  of  the 
Pomona  family,  that  gained  prizes  all  over  the 
Western  country  from  1871  to  1874  in  the  herd 


310        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

of  J.  H.  Kissinger.  He  was  also  sire  of  the 
Mary  cow  Miss  Washington  2d,  that  sold  for 
$1,000,  whose  daughter  by  4th  Duke  of  Geneva 
brought  a  like  price,  and  of  the  $3,200  Poppy's 
Julia  and  the  $2,000  Princess  cow  Princessa  2d. 

Another  branch  of  the  Phyllis  tribe  that  ac- 
quired high  repute  in  Kentucky  was  bred  by 
John  W.  Prewitt  of  Clark  County  from  the  roan 
cow  Gentle  Annie,  by  imp.  Challenger  (14252), 
that  was  bought  by  Mr.  Prewitt  at  the  admin- 
istrator's sale  of  the  Solomon  Vanmeter  cattle 
in  1859.  She  was  a  granddaughter  of  Susan 
Turley. 

Young  Phyllis  was  of  a  rich  roan  color,  with 
neat  head,  small,  crumpled  horns,  short,  neat 
neck,  fine  shape  and  style  and  a  first-class  show 
cow  in  her  day.  She  was  frequently  exhibited 
at  the  fairs  in  Kentucky  when  in  her  prime 
and  never  failed  to  receive  the  first  prize  when 
in  the  ring  except  once,  and  then  she  received 
the  second,  Although  imported  for  Mr.  Har- 
ness in  1834  at  a  cost  of  $1,500,  she  passed  to 
the  possession  of  Capt.  Isaac  Cunningham  and 
Mr.  Isaac  Vanmeter  in  1836  and  remained  the 
property  of  the  latter  until  she  became  barren 
and  was  slaughtered.  Catherine  Turley  was 
begotten  in  England  and  calved  at  Sycamore, 
in  Kentucky,  soon  after  her  arrival. 

Young  Mary. — This  celebrated  cow  and  her 
daughter  Pocahontas,  sold  at  the  Ohio  Co.'s 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  311 

sale  of  1836  to  Mr.  Harness  for  $1,500,  were 
bought  and  taken  to  Kentucky  that  same  year 
by  Messrs.  Vanmeter  &  Cunningham.  Although 
not  a  show  cow  like  Young  Phyllis,  Young 
Mary  was  one  of  the  practical,  profitable  sort 
that  often  do  more  for  their  owners  than  ani- 
mals of  show-yard  character.  She  is  described 
as  having  been  a  large  cow  of  striking  appear- 
ance, a  light  roan  in  color  with  some  white, 
especially  on  her  legs.  Her  horns,  which  were 
inclined  to  be  "crumpled,"  were  rather  strong 
and  well  carried  out  from  her  head,  which  was 
broad  and  well  shaped,  with  a  good  full  eye. 
Her  neck  was  rather  thin,  shoulders  smooth, 
back  broad,  rib  deep,  udder  large  and  good.  In 
fact  she  was  an  extraordinary  milker — one  of 
the  best  dairy  cows  ever  owned  in  the  Van- 
meter  herds.  She  was  a  remarkably  prolific 
breeder,  and  during  the  first  month  or  six 
weeks  after  calving  (if  on  grass)  could  be  de- 
pended upon  to  yield  a  large  pailful  of  milk 
morning  and  evening  after  the  calf  had  drawn 
its  fill.  Unfortunately  Isaac  Vanmeter's  pri- 
vate herd  records  were  lost  or  destroyed  during 
the  Civil  War,  but  it  is  a  commonly-accepted 
fact  that  Young  Mary  lived  to  be  about  twenty 
years  old  and  died  after  having  given  birth  to 
her  sixteenth  calf. 

She  produced  but  four  bulls;  two  of  them— 
Davy  Crockett  and  Logan — were  dropped  while 


312        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

she  was  in  the  possession  of  the  Ohio  Co.  The 
former  was  purchased  by  Mr.  P.  L.  Ayres  of 
Ohio  for  $490  for  use  upon  unrecorded  stock. 
Logan  was  bought  by  Elias  Florence  of  Ohio 
for  $750.  In  Kentucky  Young  Mary  produced 
a  red-and-white  bull  calf  named  Romulus,  by 
Matchem  (2283),  that  was  sold  while  young  to 
Mr.  James  Stonestreet  of  Clark  County,  in 
whose  hands  he  was  bred  to  but  few  pure-bred 
cows.  The  last  calf  she  ever  produced  that 
lived  to  be  useful  was  the  roan  bull  Tom  Big- 
bee,  by  Prince  Albert  2d,  calved  in  1848  and 
sold  while  young  to  Mr.  Rice  Campbell  of  Bour- 
bon County.  He  proved  quite  a  good  show 
bull. 

Young  Mary's  female  produce  after  Poca- 
hontas  cannot  now  be  named  in  the  order  of 
their  respective  ages.  Her  next  calf  was  the 
bull  Romulus  above  mentioned,  and  then  fol- 
lowed five  heifer  calves  by  Goldfinder  (2066),* 
to-wit.:  Hannah  More,  Judith  Clark,  Sarah 
Hopkins,  Lilac  and  Florida,  all  of  which  were 
very  superior  and  lived  to  be  useful  cows.  All 
of  these  except  Sarah  Hopkins  were  owned  by 
Isaac  Vanmeter  as  long  as  he  or  they  lived. 
Sarah  Hopkins  was  given  to  Mr.  Vanmeter's 


*Imp.  Goldfinder  (2066)  was  taken  to  Kentucky  in  1836  and  was  success- 
fully used  for  many  years,  largely  in  Clark  and  Fayette  Counties,  although 
he  died  the  property  of  Joel  Scott  in  Franklin  County.  Few  better  sires 
were  known  at  that  time.  He  was  a  large,  rich  roan,  light-bodied  and  somer 
what  leggy,  high-styled  and  Impressive. 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY   STOCK.  313 

son,  I.  C.  Vanmeter,  who  sold  her  after  a  few 
years  to  George  W.  Button  of  Fayette  County. 
The  records  do  not  reveal  further  facts  of 
interest  concerning  Young  Mary's  progeny.  All 
that  is  known  is  that  she  was  a  regular  breeder 
of  good  stock  and  lived  to  an  extreme  age.  The 
great  family  of  Young  Marys,  still  so  popular 
throughout  the  United  States,  has  descended 
from  the  Goldfinder  heifers  and  Pocahontas 
above  mentioned.  Probably  the  best  individual 
of  all  of  Young  Mary's  daughters  was  Hannah 
More.  She  was  exhibited  at  all  of  the  leading 
Kentucky  shows  and  was,  we  believe,  never  de- 
feated. Her  sisters  were  almost  as  good,  but 
Hannah  More  and  Pocahontas,  in  particular, 
like  their  Phyllis  companion  Catherine  Tur- 
ley,  proved  mines  of  wealth  to  Kentucky,  and 
the  West.  Pocahontas  gave  rise  to  the  famous 
Red  Rose  and  Hannah  More  to  the  Beck  Tay- 
lor, Leslie  and  Flat  Creek  branches  of  the  Mary 
tribe.  Judith  Clark  also  left  a  valuable  prog- 
eny, among  her  descendants  being  the  Grace 
Youngs,  once  so  prolific  of  good  show  cattle  in 
the  West,  and  the  Leopardess  family,  which 
gave  to  the  show-yard  Lucy  Napier.  The  suc- 
cess of  the  blending  of  the  Mary  and  Phyllis 
bloods  in  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Vanmeter  was 
instantaneous.  Bred  to  John  Randolph  603, 
son  of  imp.  Young  Phyllis,  Hannah  More  had 
a  daughter — Queen  Anne — that  produced  to 


.  A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  cover  of  Prince  Albert  2d  857  the  bull  Al- 
bert Gallatin  202.  Randolph  and  Gallatin  did 
some  of  the  local  shows  in  company  and  car- 
ried many  ribbons;  the  older.  (Phyllis)  usually 
securing  first  honors  and  the  Mary  second. 

Ben  F.  Vanmeter  gave  the  Marys  interna- 
tional fame.  From  his  father's  red-roan  Red 
Rose,  by  Pearl  2012*,  he  bred  the  celebrated 
family  of  Red  Roses;  and  by  mating  the  Han- 
nah More  cow  Beck  with  the  Phyllis  show  bull 
Dick  Taylor  he  bred  the  red  Beck  Taylor,  the 
matron  of  a  family  of  that  name  still  popular 
in  the  West.  Probably  the  best  two  cows  ever 
produced  in  his  herd  were  Red  Roses  8th  and 
llth,  own  sisters  by  the  Phyllis  bull  Airdrie 
Duke  5306.  The  Airdrie  Duchess  blood  was  by 
this  time  producing  remarkable  results  in  all 
the  leading  Kentucky  herds,  and  when  the 
Renick,  Vanmeter,  Warfield  and  Bedford  cows 
carrying  the  Bates  cross  met  at  the  local  shows 
there  was  "  war  to  the  knife."  Upon  one  mem- 
orable occasion  Mr.  Ben.  Vanmeter  with  Red 
Roses  8th  and  llth  encountered  one  of  the 
greatest  cow  combinations  Kentucky  had  ever 
seen,  meeting  Mr.  Renick's  pets,  " Little"  and 
"Big"  Genevas,  two  of  Edwin  G.  Bedford's  Lou- 

*  Pearl  was  a  red  bull  bred  by  Solomon  Vanmeter  that  became  the  prop- 
erty of  Robert  S.  Taylor  of  Clark  County.  He  was  got  by  Vanmeter,  Dun- 
can &  Cunningham's  imported  $4,850  bull  Challenger  (14252)  from  the  im- 
ported cow  Gem  by  Earl  Ducie's  Broker  (9993),  got  by  Usurer  (9763).  Pearl's 
grandam  was  Gulnare,  by  Whitaker's  Norfolk  (2377),  and  his  great-grandam 
was  the  Booth-bred  Medora  by  Ambo  (1(536). 


SOME    HISTORIC   KENTUCKY   STOCK.  315 

don  Duchesses,  besides  one  of  the  best  of  that 
family  ever  produced  by  Mr.  Warfield^and 
three  or  four  imported  cows.  In  the  cow  class 
Red  Rose  llth  won,  but  in  the  sweepstakes 
Red  Rose  8th  gained  the  prize.*  She  was  af- 
terward champion  Short-horn  cow  at  the  Phila- 
delphia Centennial  and  subsequently  sold  to  the 
Grooms  for  $1,750  and  exported  to  England. 
Her  companion  at  this  show,  Red  Rose  llth, 
sold  to  Mr.  Fox  of  England  at  $2,325  was  the 
only  cow  that  ever  defeated  Red  Rose  8th.  Mr. 
Vanmeter,  however,  never  considered  her  so 
good.  This  cow  was  the  dam  of  the  famous 
roan  Young  Mary  steer  that  was  the  champion 
four-year-old  bullock  at  the  first  American  Fat- 
Stock  Show  at  Chicago;  a  beast  that  weighed 
2,440  Ibs.  and  sold  to  the  late  John  B.  Drake  of 
the  Grand  Pacific  Hotel  for  $150  for  Christmas 
beef.  An  own  brother  to  Red  Rose  8th  and 
llth,  the  bull  Rosy  Man  27764,  was  also  a  prize- 
winner at  Kentucky  shows. 

Ben  F.  Vanmeter  sustained  close  relations 
with  Mr.  Renick  and  in  later  years  became 
identified  with  the  Rose  of  Sharon  interest, 
further  reference  to  which  will  presently  be 
made.  It  may  be  remarked  in  passing  that 
the  two  prize-winning  Young  Mary  bulls  Wash- 

*  After  the  ribbon  was  tied  on  Bed  Rose  8th  Mr.  Vanmeter  asked  Mr. 
Renick  what  he  thought  of  it  The  old  man  was  very  slow  in  making  his 
reply,  but  finally  said:  **!  reckon  it  is  all  right.  She  is  a  devil  of  a  good 
one." 


316        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ington  9284  and  Dick  Taylor  2d  16637— both  by 
Dick  Taylor  5508  and  both  bred  by  Messrs.  Sud- 
duth  of  Clark  County — were  of  Vanmeter  stock, 
the  former  being  of  the  Leslie  branch  and  the 
latter  coming  through  Judith  Clark,  own  sister 
to  Hannah  More.  Dick  Taylor  2d  won  a  cham- 
pionship at  a  Bourbon  County  fair  in  a  ring  of 
thirty  entries.  We  may  also  add  here  that  the 
bull  Seaton  4356,  bred  by  Solomon  Vanmeter, 
appearing  in  certain  pedigrees  of  cattle  of  Ken- 
tucky origin,  represented  a  cross  of  Mr.  Alex- 
ander's imp.  Orontes  2d  upon  a  daughter  of  the 
imported  Wilkinson-bred  cow  Lavender  3d, 
that  was  of  the  same  foundation  as  the  Cruick- 
shank  Lavenders. 

The  Warfields.— The  city  of  Lexington,  the 
blue-grass  capital,  is  situated  in  the  fertile 
county  of  Fayette,  which,  in  connection  with 
the  adjacent  counties  of  Clark  and  Bourbon, 
had  from  the  earliest  periods  constituted  the 
headquarters  of  the  breed  south  of  the  Ohio 
River.  The  name  of  Warfield  is  so  intimately 
and  honorably  identified  with  the  cattle-breed- 
ing interest,  not  only  of  Fayette  and  contiguous 
counties  but  of  the  entire  West,  that  no  his- 
tory of  Short-horns  in  America  would  be  com- 
plete without  some  reference  to  the  services 
rendered  by  those  of  this  name. 

The  Warfields  are  descended  from  Richard 
Warfield,  who  in  1663  settled  in  the  Puritan 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  317 

colony  of  Anne  Arundel  Co.,  near  Annapolis, 
Md.  In  October,  1790,  Elisha  Warfield  and  his 
wife,  Ruth  Burgess  (descended  from  Gen.  Wil- 
liam Burgess,  who  commanded  the  troops  of  the 
colony  of  Maryland  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
seventeenth  century),  removed  to  Fayette  Co., 
Ky.,  from  Anne  Arundel  Co.,  Md.,  bringing  with 
them  their  sons,  Elisha,  born  in  1781,  and  Ben- 
jamin, born  Feb.  8,  1790.  They  settled  about 
seven  miles  east  of  Lexington,  near  Bryan's 
Station.  Benjamin  Warfield  began  to  breed 
cattle  in  1824,  but  had  no  pure-bred  Short-horns 
until  1831.  He  practiced  law  until  the  outbreak 
of  the  war  of  1812,  and  again  until  1831;  mean- 
time purchasing  the  farm  of  Grasmere,  near 
Lexington.  His  brother,  Dr.  Elisha  Warfield, 
also  engaged  in  stock-breeding,  but  gave  more 
attention  to  the  Thoroughbred  horse  than  to 
cattle;  breeding  old  Lexington  and  other  celeb- 
rities of  the  turf.  The  former  became  the 
owner  of  Mrs.  Motte's  bull  Partnership  (6277) 
and  of  the  Durham  Cow's  daughter  Lady 
Durham,  by  San  Martin  (2599).  The  latter 
owned  the  Teeswater  Cow's  bull  Mirandi  (4428), 
by  San  Martin,  and  Messrs.  Smith  &  Warfield 
bought  the  Teeswater  Cow's  daughter  Pink,  by 
Munday's  Bull  727.*  At  a  later  date,  when 

*  The  "  Seventeens  "  were  brought  by  Col.  Sanders  to  Fayette,  and  Mrs 
Motte  and  the  Teeswater  Cow  were  retained  there,  the  property  of  Messrs, 
Munday  and  Hag-grin,  respectively.  The  Durham  Cow  was  taken  by  the 
Importer  to  Gallatin  County.  See  page  173. 


318        A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

the  Kentuckians  were  availing  themselves  of 
the  stock  imported  by  Col.  John  H.  Powel  of 
Pennsylvania,  Messrs.  Warfield  were  fortunate 
enough  to  secure  the  hull  Oliver  (2387)*,  that 
proved  a  remarkably  successful  stock-getter — 
undoubtedly  the  best  of  all  the  Powel  bulls 
brought  West.  Capt.  Ben  Warfield  became 
part  owner  of  the  Ohio  Co.  bulls  Matchem 
(2283)  and  Goldfinder  (2066),  and  also  had  some 
service  from  imp.  Prince  Charles  (2461).  Prob- 
ably none  of  the  earlier  Warfield  bulls,  however, 
proved  more  successful  than  the  famous  roan 
Cossack,  alias  Julius  Caesar  (3503),  dropped  the 
property  of  Mr.  Clay  by  the  imported  cow  Moss 
Rose,  by  Eclipse  (1949),  brought  out  from  Eng- 
land by  H.  Clay  Jr.  and  Gen.  James  Shelby  of 
Fayette  County  in  1839.  This  bull  had  for  sire 
the  Booth-bred  Cossack  (1880),  and  his  blood 
was  for  many  years  to  be  found  in  some  of  the 
best  Short-horns  in  leading  Kentucky  herds. 

Renick  903. — This  great  Kentucky  sire,  bred 
by  James  Renick  and  sired  by  Tippecanoe  1036 


*  No  less  than  twenty-two  bulls  and  thirty-two  cows  of  Col.  John  Hare 
Powel's  breeding  or  importation  were  taken  to  Kentucky— largely  between 
1831  and  1830.  While  Oliver  (2387)  was  undoubtedly  the  best  of  these  Powel 
bulls,  the  outstanding1  cow  acquired  by  Kentucky  from  the  Powelton  Herd 
was  the  Booth-bred  Isabella,  by  Pilot  (see  page  185).  She  was  probably  the 
most  celebrated  cow  of  her  day  in  the  Ohio  Valley  States,  and  at  the  sale 
of  her  produce  by  her  owner,  Mr  Sutton  of  Fayette  County,  Sept.  26, 1837. 
her  son  Frederick  515  sold  to  Buford  A  Scott  of  Franklin  County  for  $1,310; 
her  heifer  Western  Daisy  went  to  Joel  Scott  at  $745;  heifer  White  Rose  to 
James  Shelby  of  Fayette  County  at  $735,  and  biill  Cyrus  to  E.  S.  Washington 
of  Fayette  County  at  $81*",  Another  daughter  of  Cleopatra,  Sally  Jackson, 
was  sold  privately  to  /.  S.  Berryman  &  Co.  for  $2,000! 


SOME    HISTORIC   KENTUCKY    STOCK.  319 

out  of  a  daughter  of  imp.  Josephine,  was  bought 
by  Capt.  Warfield  as  a  six-months  calf.  He  was 
begotten  in  Ohio,  and  although  his  sire  and  dam 
were  both  descended  from  imp.  Josephine*  by 
Norfolk  he  was  not  specially  promising  as  a 
calf  and  was  by  no  means  satisfying  as  a  year- 
ling. For  this  reason  he  was  sent  to  Dr.  Breck- 
enridge  for  a  year  of  trial.  As  soon  as  his  calves 
began  to  come,  however,  all  doubt  as  to  Ren- 
ick's  value  disappeared  and  he  was  freely  used 
with  extraordinary  success.  He  was  a  red  with 
a  long  and  level  carcass,  well-sprung  ribs  and 
superior  handling  qualities.  He  stood  some- 
what high  on  the  leg,  and  was  not  in  fact  what 
would  be  considered  a  real  show  bull.  He  was 
often  exhibited,  but  his  success  lay  in  his  prog- 
eny rather  than  in  his  own  individuality.  He 
therefore  furnishes  an  instance — along  with 
Goldfinder  (2066)  and  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie— 
where  a  plain  bull  proved  to  be  a  stock-getter 
of  unquestioned  capacity.  Renick  soon  ac- 
quired reputation  as  the  best  sire  of  his  time 
in  Kentucky.  Of  the  show  cows  among  his 

*  Josephine  was  a  fine  show  cow ;  proving1  a  successful  prize-winner  at 
the  Ohio  fairs.  She  produced  in  1838  a  roan  cow  calf  named  Nonpareil,  by 
Comet  Halley  (1855).  In  1839— bull  calf  Hubback,  by  Paragon  of  the  West 
(4649).  In  1840— bull  calf  Tippecanoe,  by  Rover  (5015).  In  1841— cow  calf 
Lady  Harrison,  red-and-white,  by  Rover  (5015).  She  then  produced  twin 
bull  calves,  neither  of  which  lived  to  be  useful,  after  which  she  ceased 
breeding— was  fatted  and  slaughtered.  Nonpareil  and  Lady  Harrison,  the 
female  produce  above  mentioned,  were  sent  by  Mr.  Felix  Renick  to  his  son- 
in-law,  Mr.  James  Renick  of  Bourbon  Co.,  Ky.,  to  breed  on  shares  In  some 
way,  but  the  latter  finally  became  the  owner  of  the  stock. 


320        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

progeny  perhaps  the  most  distinguished  were 
the  light  roan  Tulip  and  the  roan  Fleda,  both 
of  these  being  descended  from  Capt.  Warfield's 
never-beaten  show  cow  Caroline.  The  former 
was  sold  to  Capt,  James  N.  Brown  and  the  lat- 
ter to  J.  D,  Smith,  both  of  Sangamon  Co.,  111., 
and  for  many  years  they  divided  the  verdicts 
of  Western  show-yard  juries.  Indeed  the  late 
Capt.  Brown  considered  that  Tulip  was  a  vastly 
better  cow  than  Capt.  Warfield's  celebrated 
Mary  Magdalene,  that  had  been  bred  by  Abram 
Renick  from  a  Harriet  dam  from  a  service  by 
Renick  903.  Mary  Magdalene  combined  aston- 
ishing substance  with  rare  finish.  Although 
she  was  of  enormous  size,  weighing  in  show 
condition  2,250  Ibs.,  still  an  ordinary  hand  could 
span  her  ankle  with  thumb  and  fore  finger. 
Lizzie  Higgins,  the  dam  of  Fleda,  invariably 
produced  a  show  animal  to  a  service  by  Renick, 
her  heifers  Sally  Campbell  and  Pearl  and  the 
bull  Magyar  677  illustrating  this  fact.  Still 
another  cow  that  " nicked"  well  with  Renick 
was  Lucy,  a  descendant  of  imp.  White  Rose, 
by  Publicola,  that  gave  to  Renick  the  two  great 
heifers  Lucy  2d  and  Lucy  3d  and  bulls  Francisco 
2266  and  Duke  of  Stockdale  1483.  That  excellent 
old  cow  Cherry  2d,  by  Don  John  426,  also  pro- 
duced to  Renick  a  pair  of  extraordinary  calves 
known  as  Amy  and  Sally  Smith.  Another  great 
Renick  heifer  was  Adah,  and  we  should  also 


SOME   HISTORIC   KENTUCKY    STOCK.  321 

mention  Mr.  William  Wai-field's  Princess  and 
Mr.  Kinnaird's  Pearl. 

Muscatoon  7057.— This  celebrated  sire  of 
prize  cattle  in  the  herd  of  Mr.  William  Warfield 
of  Grasrnere  was  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  great 
herd  assembled  by  Mr.  Alexander  at  Woodburn. 
He  was  a  red  bull,  sired  by  the  Bates-bred  Royal 
Oxford  (18774)  out  of  Mazurka  2d  by  Orontes  2d 
(11877);  second  dam  that  famous  Lincolnshire 
roan  imp.  Mazurka  by  Harbinger.  There  is 
no  question  as  to  this  cow  having  been  one  of 
the  best  ever  imported.  Rich  in  color,  her 
capital  carcass,  with  its  far-famed  back  and 
flank,  was  set  off  by  a  head  of  surpassing  sweet- 
ness. Muscatoon  was  a  red  with  a  perfect  head 
and  the  full  eye  of  the  kindly  feeder.  He  was 
strongly  filled  behind  the  shoulder  and  had  the 
rib  and  full  lower  line  of  Mazurka  joined  to 
the  great  loin  and  thighs  of  Orontes  2d.  He 
was  bought  by  Mr.  Warfield  as  a  yearling,  and 
his  career  at  Grasmere  both  as  a  show  bull  and 
a  stock-getter  did  much  to  strengthen  the  rep- 
utation of  the  Woodburn  stock.  Although 
shown  by  Mr.  Warfield  with  exceptional  suc- 
cess from  1867  to  1871  his  most  lasting  fame 
was  gained  as  a  getter  of  extraordinary  show 
and  breeding  animals.  In  fact  in  the  rings  for 
best  lot  of  calves  the  get  of  one  bull  he  was  al- 
most invincible  in  the  State  of  Kentucky  in  the 
later  sixties.  The  most  remarkable  feature  of 


322        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

his  service  at  Grasmere  was  the  uniform  excel- 
lence of  his  get.  They  were  all  good,  and  some 
of  them  attained  such  outstanding  excellence 
that  they  were  for  many  years  reigning  show- 
yard  champions.  Among  these  were  the  heif- 
ers Duchess  of  Sutherland  4th,  Maggie  Musca- 
toon,  1st  and  2d  Ladies  of  Grasmere  and  Loudon 
Duchess  4th.  He  also  sired  the  Rose  of  Sharon 
cow  Grace  and  Louan  of  Waveland,  for  which 
Walter  Handy  paid  respectively  $1,000  and 
$1,150  at  a  sale  of  E.  L.  Davison's.  Among  the 
noted  stock  and  show  bulls  of  his  get  were  Lou- 
don Duke  6th  10399 ;  Tycoon  7339,  Lord  of  the 
Manor  12332  and  2d  Duke  of  Grasmere  13961. 
He  died  as  the  result  of  an  accident  in  1873, 
and  it  may  be  said  that  he  shares  with  the 
Duke  of  Airdrie  bulls  the  reputation  of  having 
materially  advanced  the  name  and  fame  of  the 
Short-horn  breed  throughout  the  entire  West- 
ern country.  Indeed  rank  as  a  sire  of  show 
cattle  has  been  claimed  for  this  Mazurka  bull 
along  with  such  English  celebrities  as  Booth's 
Crown  Prince  and  Towneley's  Frederick. 

The  Loudon  Duchesses. — Mr.  William  War- 
field  has  the  honor  of  having  originated  one  of 
the  best  tribes  of  Short-horns  yet  evolved  by 
the  breeders  of  the  United  States.  We  allude 
to  the  Loudon  Duchesses  produced  by  his  skill 
and  intelligence  by  a  judicious  utilization  of 
Woodburn  blood.  The  Hon.  Frank  Key  Hunt, 


£  H  d 

a  O  $ 


SOME   HISTORIC   KENTUCKY   STOCK.  323 

X 

an  able  lawyer  and  a  neighbor  and  kinsman  of 
Mr.  Warfield,  having  expressed  a  desire  for  a 
good  Short-horn  heifer  to  grace  his  spacious 
lawn,  Mr.  Warfield  purchased  for  him  at  a  sale 
held  by  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander  in  1856  Miss  Wiley 
4th,  sired  by  2d  Duke  of  Athol  (11376)  out  of 
imp.  Miss  Hudson,  at  $470,  which,  we  believe, 
was  the  highest  price  of  the  day.  Mr.  Warfield 
was  to  direct  her  breeding  and  was  to  take  each 
calf  at  six  months  of  age  at  $300.  He  believed 
that  as  she  promised  to  make  a  big,  large-framed 
cow  good  results  would  follow  her  mating  with 
the  finely-finished  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730). 
The  first  calf  proved  to  be  the  red  bull  regis- 
tered as  Loudon  Duke  3097,  whose  name  was 
derived  from  the  title  of  Mr.  Hunt's  farm.  In 
the  meantime  Mr.  Hunt  suggested  that  Miss 
Wiley  4th  be  bred  to  imp.  St.  Lawrence  (12037), 
that  had  been  imported  by  Mr.  Thorne  of  New 
York  and  purchased  by  Elisha  Warfield.  Mr. 
William  Warfield  objected  to  this  cross  on 
the  ground  of  incompatibility  of  type,  but  Mr. 
Hunt  insisted  upon  trying  it,  releasing  Mr. 
Warfield  from  any  obligation  to  take  the  calf 
if  not  satisfactory.  The  experiment  was  a  fail- 
ure and  the  bull  calf  that  resulted  was  steered. 
The  cow  was  then  bred  back  to  imp.  Duke  of 
Airdrie,  and  in  1860  dropped  the  red  heifer 
Anna  Hunt,  subsequently  sold  by  Mr.  Warfield 
to  Charles  M.  Clark  of  Springfield,  0.,  from 


824        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

\ 

whose  hands  she  passed  into  the  possession  of 
Daniel  McMillan  of  Xenia,  becoming  the  an- 
cestress of  a  great  family  of  cows  known  as  the 
Ladys  of  Clark.  Miss  Wiley  4th  had  by  this 
time  grown  into  a  cow  of  immense  scale,  w  eigh- 
ing  1,700  Ibs.  off  grass.  The  development  of 
London  Duke  and  of  Anna  Hunt  demonstrated 
that  the  cross  with  the  fine  but  rather  "rangy" 
imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  was  a  success,  and  she  was 
again  sent  to  be  served  at  Woodburn.  This 
time  she  dropped  the  red  bull  calf  Duke  of  Ed- 
inburgh 4724  (also  known  as  Loudon  Duke  2d), 
that  was  sold  to  a  Mr.  Woodruff  of  Indiana. 
The  result  of  the  next  service  to  the  imported 
Duke  was  the  roan  bull  calf  Loudon  Duke  3d 
10398,  sold  to  Mr.  Wilson  of  Cincinnati  and  used 
with  success  in  Ohio  herds.  In  1863,  to  imp. 
Duke  of  Airdrie,  she  dropped  the  red  bull  Lou- 
don Duke  4th  5906,  sold  to  Mr.  Edwin  G.  Bed- 
ford and  afterward  the  property  of  Mr.  D.  S. 
King  of  Ohio.  During  this  period  Mr.  Warfield 
had  used  the  first  Loudon  Duke  with  success, 
finally  selling  him  to  Mr.  Isaac  Vanmeter  of 
Clark  Co.,  Ky. 

In  1864  Miss  Wiley  4th  dropped  to  imp.  Duke 
of  Airdrie  the  red  heifer  calf  destined  to  fame 
under  the  name  of  Loudon  Duchess.  The  im- 
ported Duke  having  meanwhile  died,  it  was 
decided  to  breed  Mr.  Hunt's  cow  to  Duncan's 
Duke  of  Airdrie  2743,  which  Mr.  Warfield  con- 


SOME   HISTORIC   KENTUCKY   STOCK,  325 

sidered  the  imported  Duke's  best  son;  and  from 
a  service  by  that  bull  the  red  heifer  Loudon 
Duchess  2d  was  dropped  in  1865.  In  the  fall 
of  that  year  Mr.  Warfield  had  sent  a  small 
bunch  of  cattle  for  exhibition  to  the  local 
fairs,  included  among  the  number  being  the 
yearling  Loudon  Duchess.  The  stock  was  taken 
to  the  Bourbon  show  in  Mr.  William  Warfield's 
absence  in  attendance  at  the  Illinois  State 
Fair,  which  was  held  the  same  week,  and  dur- 
ing the  continuance  of  these  shows  the  follow- 
ing telegram  was  received  from  Kentucky:  "I 
am  offered  $500  for  your  yearling  heifer  and 
$250  for  your  steer;  shall  I  take  it?"  This  re- 
ferred to  Loudon  Duchess  and  a  great  steer  of 
the  Rosabella  24  by  Velocipede  tribe.  In  those 
dull  days  the  prices  seemed  large,  and  as  Mr. 
Warfield  believed  that  Loudon  Duchess  2d 
would  make  a  better  heifer  than  her  sister  by 
the  imported  Duke  he  replied  in  the  affirma- 
tive, and  thus  Mr.  E.  G.  Bedford  of  Bourbon 
County  became  the  owner  of  Loudon  Duchess, 
the  prize  yearling  of  that  season  and  subse- 
quently a  great  prize-taker  and  dam  of  win- 
ners. Loudon  Duchess  2d  proved  to  be  Miss 
Wiley  4th's  last  calf  and  Mr.  Warfield  decided 
not  to  part  with  her.  These  two  heifers  then 
embarked  upon  a  show-yard  and  breeding  ca- 
reer that  has  probably  not  been  surpassed  in 
this  country. 


326        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

The  Bedford  heifer  produced  one  bull  and 
one  heifer  (Loudon  Duchess  3d)  to  services  by 
The  Priest  6246,  and  one  bull  (Loudon  Duke 
7th  10400)  and  three  heifers  (Loudon  Duchesses 
5th,  7th  and  llth)  to  services  by  that  capital 
Bates  Duchess  sire  2d  Duke  of  Geneva  5562.  It 
had  previously  been  agreed  between  Mr.  War- 
field  and  Mr.  Bedford  that  the  Loudon  Duchess 
name  should  be  given  to  the  progeny  of  these 
cows.  To  avoid  confusion  Mr.  Bedford  was  to 
use  the  odd  numbers  and  Mr.  Warfield  the  even 
numbers.  Mr.  Warfielcl's  Loudon  Duchess  2d 
produced  ten  calves — six  bulls  and  four  heifers 
—three  of  which  were  by  Muscatoon  7057,  two 
by  Robert  Napier  8975,  one  by  5th  Duke  of 
Geneva  7932,  one  by  llth  Duke  of  Geneva,  one 
by  4th  Duke  of  Airdrio,  one  by  14th  Duke  of 
Thorndale  and  one  by  2d  Duke  of  Grasmere 
13961.  Loudon  Duchess  4th,  one  of  the  Mus- 
catoon heifers,  was  considered  by  Mr.  Warfield 
to  be  the  best  female  produced  by  either  of  the 
celebrated  sisters,  and  Loudon  Duke  6th  10399, 
afterward  so  famous  in  Missouri  and  the  West, 
was  counted  the  best  bull.  He  was  sold  to  Mr. 
J.  G.  Cowan  of  Missouri  for  $3,000  in  1872,  a  great 
price  for  that  time. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  the  fact  that  dur- 
ing the  great  expansion  of  the  Short-horn  trade 
following  the  Civil  War  a  prejudice  was  unfor- 
tunately created  by  interested  parties  against 


SOME    HISTORIC   KENTUCKY   STOCK.  327 

cattle  carrying  crosses  of  stock  descended  from 
the  Walter  Dun  importation.  Inasmuch  as 
Duncan's  Duke  of  Airdrie  had  such  a  cross, 
those  who  in  the  later  years  sought  to  discredit 
the  Dun  importation  insisted  that  the  descend- 
ants of  Mr.  Bedford's  London  Duchesses  by  imp. 
Duke  of  Airdrie  were  more  valuable  than  the 
descendants  of  Mr.  Warfield's  Loudon  Duchess 
2d.  The  absurdity  of  this  contention  is  clearly 
shown  by  the  fact  that,  judged  by  the  stringent 
requirements  of  the  show-yard,  Mr.  Warfield's 
Loudon  Duchesses  were  even  better  individuals 
than  those  bred  by  Mr.  Bedford.  While  Lou- 
don Duchess  gained  twelve  first  prizes,  Mr. 
Warfield's  Loudon  Duchess  2d  won  fifty-six, 
some  of  them  gained  at  the  State  fairs  of  Ohio 
and  Indiana.  The  female  calves  of  Loudon 
Duchess  won  while  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Bedford 
five  prizes,  but  Mr.  Warfield's  Loudon  Duchess 
4th  alone  won  fourteen  and  his  Loudon  Duchess 
6th  alone  won  over  forty.  There  was  always  a 
friendly  rivalry  as  to  the  merits  of  the  original 
cows  between  Mr.  Bedford  and  Mr.  Warfield, 
but  it  is  self-evident  that  there  was  no  founda- 
tion whatever  for  any  assumption  of  superior 
value  in  behalf  of  the  Bedford  line  of  breeding. 
Mr.  Warfield  was  the  first  to  secure  extraordi- 
nary prices,  selling  Loudon  Duchess  8th  to  Mr. 
J.  F.  Cowan  of  Virginia  for  $2,500  and  Loudon 
Duchess  6th  to  W.  H.  Richardson  of  Kentucky 


328        A   HISTOEY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

for  $2,005,  the  highest-priced  female  at  the  auc- 
tion sales  of  that  year.  Mr.  Bedford,  however, 
surpassed  even  these  exceptional  values  at  his 
closing  sale  of  1874,  where  seven  Loudon  Duch- 
esses averaged  $3,521  and  two  bulls  $2,033;  one 
cow  (Loudon  Duchess  9th)  going  to  Mr.  B.  F. 
Bedford  at  $6,000  and  one  bull  (Loudon  Duke 
19th)  to  W.  R.  Duncan  of  Illinois  for  $3,500. 
A  very  superior  bull  produced  by  Loudon  Duch- 
ess 2d  was  Mr.  E.  L.  Davison's  red  Loudon  Duke 
3d  8542,  sired  by  Muscatoon.  This  bull  should 
not  be  confused  with  Loudon  Duke  3d  10398 
from  Miss  Wiley  4th.  The  latter  had  been  sold 
into  Ohio  by  Mr.  Warfield  and  passed  from  no- 
tice before  the  Muscatoon  bull  was  assigned  a 
name.  There  were  thus  two  Loudon  Duke  3ds, 
uncle  and  nephew.  Loudon  Duke  3d  8542  was 
shown  extensively  from  1868  to  1870  at  all  of 
the  leading  Kentucky  fairs,  and  won  many  first 
and  championship  prizes. 

Mr.  William  Warfield  steadfastly  resisted  the 
dictates  of  fashion  and  clung  tenaciously  to 
the  right  of  selecting  sires  of  approved  form 
and  quality  belonging  to  established  tribes  with- 
out reference  to  the  whims  and  fancies  of  the 
speculative  element.  While  on  this  account  he 
did  not  profit  largely  by  the  great  speculative 
advance  that  resulted  in  such  enormous  prices 
being  paid  in  subsequent  years  for  certain  "  line- 
bred"  families,  he  stood  manfully  by  the  best 


SOME    HISTORIC   KENTUCKY    STOCK.  329 

traditions  of  the  breed,  and  has  up  to  the  end  of 
the  present  century  consistently  advocated  the 
breeding  of  Short-Jhorns  for  individual  excel- 
lence from  the  best  sources  regardless  of  par- 
ticular blood-lines.* 

Adoption  of  Bates  type  and  methods. — Imp. 
Duke  of  Airdrie  was  extensively  used  by  Mr. 
Alexander  at  Woodburn  and  sired  a  large  num- 
ber of  good  cattle  of  both  sexes  in  that  superb 
herd.  We  have  already  mentioned  the  prize 
bull  Bell  Duke  of  Airdrie  2522  used  by  Mr. 
Bedford.  Another  noted  son  was  Clifton  Duke 
(23580),  that  was  used  by  Mr.  Alexander  upon 
the  Airdrie  Duchesses  and  was  also  hired  by 
George  M.  Bedford.  He  was  out  of  the  im- 
ported Filbert  Bell-Bates  cow  Lady  Derby. 
Another  good  bull  by  the  old  Duke,  bred  at 
Woodburn,  was  Princeton  4285  (from  imp.  Prin- 
cess 4th  by  Revolution),  that  was  sold  to  Dr. 
Brecken ridge  and  left  much  valuable  stock. 
The  Duke  of  Airdrie  heifers  at  Woodburn,  as 
elsewhere,  proved  very  valuable  as  breeders. 
From  one  of  these,  Minna  2d — a  daughter  of 
imp.  Minna  by  Bridegroom — Mr.  Alexander 
bred  the  celebrated  show  bull  Minister  6363, 

*  William  Warfleld  was  a  son  of  Capt.  Ben  Warfleld  and  became  one  of 
the  acknowledged  authorities  on  all  subjects  pertaining  to  American  Short- 
horn history.  A  frequent  contributor  to  the  Breeder's  Gazette  and  other  agri- 
cultural journals  and  the  author  of  "A  History  of  Imported  Short-horns  " 
und  of  "Cattle-Breeding"— published  by  the  Sanders  Pub.  Co.,  Chicago— he 
has  perhaps  done  more  than  any  other  one  man  in  America  to  preserve  the 
records  of  early  importations  and  build  up  a  Short-horn  literature  in  the 
United  States. 


330        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

whose  career  in  the  hands  of  William  R.  Dun- 
can in  Illinois  will  presently  be  mentioned. 

Another  noted  show  bull  that  served  to  prove 
to  the  minds  of  Kentucky  breeders  the  efficacy 
of  Duchess  blood  for  crossing  purposes  at  this 
period  was  Burnside  4618,  a  red  bred  by  H. 
Clay  Jr.  of  Bourbon  County,  dropped  in  1861 
by  the  Duke  of  Athol  (10150)  cow  imp.  Brace- 
let to  a  service  by  Duke  John  2741,  he  a  roan 
bull  by  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730)  out  of  the 
Gwynne  cow  Lady  Sherwood  by  5th  Duke  of 
York.  Burnside  was  shown  with  much  success 
and  died  in  November,  1873. 

While  Woodburn  made  no  apparent  effort  to 
concentrate  the  Duke  of  Airdrie's  blood,  Abram 
Renick  and  George  M.  Bedford  did  not  hesitate 
to  double  it  up  at  every  opportunity.  Messrs. 
Vanmeter  were  also  inclined  to  the  belief  that 
the  "more  of  the  old  Duke's  blood  the  better." 
The  pronounced  success  of  such  bulls  as  Dun- 
can's Duke  2743,  Airdrie  2478,  Sweepstakes 
6230,  Joe  Johnson  10294,  Airdrie  Duke  5306, 
Dick  Taylor  5508  and  of  the  Loudon  Duchesses, 
etc.,  established  thoroughly  the  popularity  of 
Bates  sires  in  Kentucky;  and  Mr.  Renick's 
skillful  concentration  of  Airdrie  and  Rose  of 
Sharon  blood  rooted  the  idea  firmly  in  the 
minds  of  most  of  the  Kentucky  breeders  that 
by  a  system  of  in-and-in  or  line  breeding  based 
on  the  use  of  Bates  bulls  the  best  Short-horns 


SOME    HISTORIC    KENTUCKY    STOCK.  331 

were  likely  to  be  produced.  Pronounced  style, 
good  scale,  level  lines  and  great  finish  were 
cardinal  points  with  those  who  were  most  ac- 
tive in  shaping  the  course  of  Short-horn  breed- 
ing in  the  West  at  this  time.  These  character- 
istics were  secured  and  thoroughly  established 
largely  through  the  use  of  the  sons,  grandsons, 
daughters  and  granddaughters  of  imp.  Duke  of 
Airdrie.  Such  was  the  general  situation,  there- 
fore, at  the  time  when  Illinois  and  other  West- 
ern States  began  stocking  up  largely  with  Short- 
horns ;  the  foundation  animals  for  nearly  all  of 
the  leading  Western  herds  being  secured  from 
Kentucky  sources. 

An  unbiased  and  thoroughly  capable  judge 
who  visited  the  herds  of  Kentucky  at  intervals 
during  this  period — the  late  Simon  Beattie  of 
Canada  and  Annan,  Scotland — called  the  atten- 
tion of  the  breeders  of  that  State  to  the  fact 
that  while  they  were  securing  a  marked  uni- 
formity, fine  heads,  a  beautiful  finish  and  gay 
carriage  by  this  system  of  close  breeding,  they 
were  at  the  same  time  sacrificing  heavy  flesh, 
substance  and  hair,  and  "  working  their  cattle 
toward  a  leggy  type,  thin  about  their  rumps, 
thighs  and  hind  quarters."  In  rebuttal  of  this 
criticism  Mr.  Alexander's  Mazurkas  were  cited 
as  a  family  that  had  escaped  those  defects,  but 
the  fact  was  promptly  pointed  out  by  Mr.  Beat- 
tie  that  imp.  Mazurka  wras  by  Mr.  Booth's  Har- 


332        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

binger  and  her  dam  by  Mr.  Lax's  Baron  of  Rav- 
ensworth — both  bulls  that  imparted  short  legs 
and  thick  flesh  to  nearly  all  their  offspring. 
Mr.  John  Thornton,  the  able  English  live-stock 
auctioneer,  who  visited  the  States  in  1869,  ap- 
parently approved  of  this  observation  of  Mr. 
Beattie's  in  a  measure,  for  he  was  quoted  as  say- 
ing that  he  regarded  the  Mazurkas  as  the  most 
promising  foundation  for  a  fine  family  of  cattle 
of  any  one  sort  he  had  seen  in  America. 


CHAPTER    XII. 


PROGRESS  IN  THE  CENTRAL  WEST. 

From  1857  down  to  the  close  of  the  Civil 
War  in  1865  importations  of  Short-horns  had 
practically  ceased;  and  during  a  great  portion 
of  that  time  values  ruled  so  low  that  there  was 
little  encouragement  for  those  engaged  in  the 
trade.  The  financial  crash  of  1857,  with  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion  in  its  train,  put  a  damper 
upon  enterprise  in  this  direction.  Kentucky, 
the  active  center  of  Short-horn  breeding  in 
America  at  this  time,  was  a  border  State  be- 
tween the  North  and  South  and  was  a  theater 
of  military  operations.  A  few  of  the  leading 
breeders,  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander  among  the  num- 
ber, sent  their  Short-horns  north  of  the  Ohio 
River  for  safety,  the  Woodburn  cattle  being 
placed  temporarily  in  the  charge  of  Mr.  J.  M. 
Woodruff  of  Nineveh,  Ind.  Others  drove  their 
pets  into  their  most  secluded  pastures,  hiding 
them  as  best  they  might  when  the  exigencies 
of  the  occasion  called  for  special  care,  and 
bided  their  time.  With  the  advent  of  peace 
the  business  entered  upon  an  extraordinary  pe- 
riod of  expansion  toward  the  West,  to  which 
section  we  must  now  direct  our  attention. 


334        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

First  Illinois  herds. — Virginia  carried  the 
Short-horn  colors  into  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  and 
emigrants  from  those  States  in  turn  bore  the 
banner  of  the  "  red,  white  and  roans5'  into  Indi- 
ana, Illinois  and  Missouri,  from  which  vantage 
grounds  the  breed  ultimately  spread  through- 
out the  entire  West. 

The  earliest  introduction  of  Short- horn  blood 
into  Illinois  was  made  by  Capt.  James  N.  Brown 
of  Grove  Park,  Sangamon  County;  who  had 
previously  bred  and  shown  cattle  successfully 
in  Kentucky.  The  herd  at  Grove  Park  was 
founded  in  1834.  The  stock  was  brought  from 
Kentucky,  probably  the  most  noted  of  the  ear- 
lier members  of  the  herd  being  the  cow  Lady 
McAllister,  for  which  $900  was  paid  in  1837.  In 
1852  he  bought  in  Kentucky  the  cows  Beauty 
and  Miss  Warfield  and  the  bull  Vandal  1065. 
These  were  followed  two  years  later  by  such 
animals  as  Margaretta,  Bentona,  Stella,  Sally 
Campbell,  Lulu  and  Tuscaloosa.  In  1856  Capt. 
Brown  bought  in  Kentucky  Queen  Victoria, 
Maude  and  Orphan  2d.  These  cattle  and  others 
purchased  subsequently  by  Capt.  Brown,  in 
common  with  most  of  the  other  stock  of  that 
period,  carried  more  or  less  of  the  blood  of  the 
importation  of  1817.  In  the  meantime  (in 
1854)  he  had  purchased  in  Ohio  the  imported 
bull  Young  Whittington  and  the  imported  cow 
Picotee  and  bull  calf  Buckeye.  In  1857  Capt,, 


PROGRESS   IN    THE   CENTRAL    WEST.  335 

Brown  organized  and  directed  the  notable  im- 
portation from  England  listed  on  page  276,  se- 
curing for  his  own  herd  the  $3,025  cow  Rachel 
3d,  the  $1,325  roan  heifer  Western  Lady  and  an 
interest  in  the  bull  King  Alfred  (14760).  The 
Grove  Park  Herd  was  shown  with  more  or  less 
regularity  at  the  Morgan  and  Sangamon  County 
Fairs  until  the  establishment  of  ihe  Illinois 
State  Fair  in  1853  and  the  St.  Louis  Fair  in 
1856. 

Capt.  Brown's  brother,  Judge  William  Brown 
of  Jacksonville,  was  a  partner  in  some  of  these 
earlier  operations,  and  Col.  G.  M.  Chambers  of 
Jacksonville  was  also  associated  with  him  in 
the  purchase  of  stock  brought  from  Ohio.  His 
neighbor  and  kinsman,  Hon.  J.  D.  Smith,  also 
began  breeding  Short-horns  during  this  period, 
and  at  a  somewhat  later  date  Judge  Stephen 
Dunlap  of  Morgan  County  founded  a  herd. 
Prior  to  1840  Messrs.  E.  B.  Hitt  &  Bro.  introduced 
Short-horns  into  Scott  County,  and  in  that  same 
year  Messrs.  Samuels  and  Forsythe  brought 
in  what  was  afterward  the  foundation  herd  of 
the  Messrs.  Dunlap.  In  1853  Messrs.  Calef  and 
Jacoby  shipped  some  good  Short-horns  into  Il- 
linois from  Kentucky,  the  latter  making  a  fine 
exhibit  at  the  first  Illinois  State  Fair.  In  this 
connection  it  may  be  stated  that  prior  to  1856 
Messrs.  Calef  and  Jacoby  had  acquired  and  fed 
100  head  of  high-grade  Short-horn  steers  that 


336         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

were  marketed  at  an  average  weight  of  1,965 
Ibs. — a  fact  which  did  much  to  attract  the  at- 
tention of  Illinois  farmers  to  the  value  of  the 
blood.  About  this  same  time  Mr.  B.  F.  Harris 
of  Champaign  County  collected  a  lot  of  100 
grade  steers  that  were  fed  to  the  enormous  av- 
erage weight  of  2,377  Ibs.  While  such  weights 
are  not  wanted  at  the  present  time,  this  feed- 
ing experiment  served  as  a  great  advertisement 
for  Short-horn  blood.  About  1854  Mr.  John 
Huston,  father  of  the  late  Rigdon  Huston,  in- 
troduced Short-horns  into  McDonough  County, 
and  the  Hon.  John  Wentworth  of  Chicago 
also  entered  the  list  of  breeders.  The  Went- 
worth Herd  was  one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
Northwest.  Its  owner  was  a  man  of  gigantic 
stature — familiarly  known  as  "  Long  John  "- 
who  was  prominent  in  the  politics  of  the  State 
of  Illinois  and  amassed  a  large  fortune  in  Chi- 
cago. He  drew  most  of  his  foundation  stock 
from  the  East,  but  bought  also  from  his  early 
Illinois  contemporaries.  His  farm  was  located 
at  Summit,  Cook  County.  Mr.  Wentworth 
maintained  the  herd  continuously  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  some  fifteen  years  since, 
and  a  peculiar  feature  of  his  management  was 
the  fact  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  putting  a 
uniform  price  of  $100  per  head  upon  his  crop  of 
bulls  irrespective  of  breeding  or  quality.  With 
his  customers  it  was  "first  come  first  served." 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL    WEST.          337 

While  we  cannot  undertake  in  the  space  at 
our  command  to  particularize  concerning  all 
of  the  many  herds  established  in  Illinois  in 
ante-bellum  days,  we  may  mention  the  following 
owners  of  registered  stock,  some  of  whom  con- 
tinued in  the  business  for  many  years  and 
achieved  great  reputation:  Stephen  Dunlap, 
J.  G.  Strawn,  Elliot  Stevenson,  John  P.  Hen- 
derson and  R.  Pollock  of  Morgan  County;  R. 
H.  Whiting,  George  Newman,  Luther  Martin 
and  Godfrey  &  Sumner  of  Knox  County;  Tru- 
man Humphreys,  Peoria  County;  J.  C.  Bone, 
William  B.  Smith  &  Bros,  and  H.  H.  Jacoby, 
Sangamon  County;  J.  M.  Hill,  Cass  County;  J. 
H.  Spears,  J.  W.  Judy  and  James  Purkapile  of 
Menard  County;  E.  L.  Gilham  of  Scott  County; 
George  Barnett,  Robert  Milne  and  S.  W.  Ran- 
dall of  Will  County;  Davis  Lowman  of  Stark 
County;  A.  G.  Carle  of  Champaign  County;  S. 
S.  Brown  of  Jo  Daviess  County;  William  Black 
of  Greene  County;  A.  Kershaw  of  Dupage 
County;  The  Bishop  Hill  Colony  of  Henry 
County;  J.  P.  Reynolds  and  Ed  Bebb  of  Win- 
nebago  County;  Thomas  Wray  and  D.  B.  Tears 
of  McHenry  County;  Ralph  Anderson,  James 
Makepeace  and  S.  Simpkins  of  Pike  County; 
E.  C.  Marks  of  La  Salle  County;  George  M. 
Bedinger  of  McLean  County;  A.  W.  Bowen  of 
Will  County;  D.  J.  Townsend,  Kendall  County; 
P.  Hudson,  Edwards  County;  Green  &  Davis 


338        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

and  W.  Marks,  La  Salle  County;  Charles  Mer- 
riam  and  S.  W.  Ball  of  Madison  County;  A. 
Pyle,  St.  Clair  County;  George  Severs  and  W. 
W.  Parrish,  Kankakee  County;  Caleff  &  Jacoby, 
Piatt  County;  H.  C.  Johns,  Macon  County; 
Parks  &  Trundell,  Mercer  County;  H.  N.  Cross, 
Jersey  County;  M.  W.  Riggs,  Scott  County; 
David  Graft,  Woodford  County;  and  Messrs. 
Green,  Paul  &  Wurts  of  McLean  County. 

Early  Indiana  breeders. — Short-horns  were 
introduced  into  Indiana  soon  after  the  importa- 
tions of  the  Ohio  Co.  in  1836,  at  several  differ- 
ent points.  The  late  Dr.  A.  C.  Stevenson  of 
Greencastle  was  the  "Nestor"  of  Short-horn 
breeding  in  the  "  Hoosier"  State.  We  have  al- 
ready referred  (on  page  275)  to  his  importation 
from  England,  consisting  of  four  heifers  and 
two  bulls?  made  in  1853.  He  had  been  inter- 
ested in  Short-horn  cattle  for  some  years  prior 
to  that  date,  having  used  the  Euby  bull  Mon- 
arch 717,  that  was  bred  in  Kentucky  in  1845. 
By  both  example  and  precept  Dr.  Stevenson 
never  lost  an  opportunity  to  impress  upon  the 
farmers  of  his  State  the  advantages  of  good 
blood,  and  he  maintained  his  interest  in  the 
trade  until  his  death,  at  a  very  advanced  age, 
a  few  years  since. 

The  late  Gen.  Meredith,  who  bought  his  Oak- 
land fafm  adjoining  Cambridge  City,  in  Wayne 
County,  in  1851,  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.  339 

of  the  early  Indiana  breeders,  and  afterward 
acquired  international  reputation  for  his  herd. 
He  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  but  removed 
to  Indiana  about  1830.  He  was  a  man  of  no- 
table physique,  standing  six  feet  seven  inches 
in  height,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  one 
of  the  most  conspicuous  figures  in  the  frater- 
nity of  American  Short-horn  cattle-breeders. 
His  entire  life  was  marked  by  that  same  deter- 
mination and  perseverance  that  impelled  him 
when  little  more  than  a  lad  to  make  the  toil- 
some journey  from  North  Carolina  over  the 
mountains  into  the  West  on  foot  and  after  ar- 
riving to  work  for  $6  per  month  cutting  wood. 
He  bought  his  first  Short-horn  bull  in  1836,  and 
from  that  time  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
Oct.  21,  1875,  he  never  lost  his  interest  in  the 
breed.  He  was  closely  associated  with  the 
leading  breeders  of  his  time,  included  among 
his  earlier  Short-horn-loving  friends  being  such 
men  as  Samuel  Thorne,  Lewis  G.  Morris,  Lewis 
F.  Allen  and  Robert  A.  Alexander.  The  foun- 
dation cows  for  the  Meredith  herd  were  bought 
mainly  in  Kentucky.  The  first  notable  pur- 
chase of  a  bull  was  the  Bates  Wild  Eyes  imp. 
Balco  (9918),  the  highest-priced  bull  of  his  fam- 
ily at  the  Kirklevington  dispersion  sale,  men- 
tioned on  page  240.  It  was  something  of  an 
undertaking  to  transport  him  from  New  York 
to  Indiana  in  those  days.  A  letter  written  by 


340        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

his  former  owner,  Col.  Morris,  accompanied 
Balco  on  the  trip  addressed  to  "Railroad  and 
steamboat  agents  en  route  to  Cambridge  City," 
bespeaking  special  attention  to  the  wants  of 
"this  very  valuable  bull." 

Gen.  Meredith  was  an  exhibitor  at  the  first 
United  States  Cattle  Show,  held  at  Springfield, 
0.,  in  1857,  where  a  prize  of  $500  was  offered 
for  the  best  Short-horn  herd.  There  were  five 
herds  in  competition — two  from  Ohio,  two  from 
Kentucky  and  Gen.  Meredith's  from  Indiana. 
There  were  five  judges,  two  of  which  voted 
for  the  Indiana  herd,  two  for  the  Ohio  herd  and 
one  for  the  Kentucky  herd.  After  two  days' 
fruitless  balloting  the  committee  unanimously 
made  the  rather  remarkable  recommendation 
that  no  premium  be  bestowed,  but  that,  instead, 
the  money  remain  in  the  society's  treasury! 
And  it  was  so  ordered.  Gen.  Meredith  was 
considered  a  fine  judge  not  only  of  cattle  but 
of  Southdown  sheep,  improved  swine  and  high- 
class  horses,  and  unquestionably  rendered  the 
farmers  of  the  State  of  his  adoption  signal  ser- 
vice along  the  line  of  live-stock  breeding.  He 
was  a  gallant  soldier  during  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  commanding  the  famous  "  Iron  Bri- 
gade" at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg.  We  shall 
have  occasion  a  little  further  on  to  make  refer- 
ences to  some  of  the  more  valuable  animals 
included  in  the  Oakland  Herd  in  its  prime. 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.  341 

Thos.  Wilhoit  of  Henry  County  was  another 
of  the  Indiana  pioneers  whose  herd  achieved 
celebrity.  He  began  with  Short-horns  in  1851, 
when  he  bought  of  Milton  Thornburg  of  Wayne 
County  two  heifers  and  a  bull.  They  were 
good  cattle  for  that  day,  although  unrecorded. 
It  is  related  that  Mr.  Wilhoit  paid  $35  per  head 
for  these  unregistered  animals,  and  his  neigh- 
bors and  friends  considered  this  pure  extrava- 
gance and  laughed  at  what  they  termed  his 
folly.  His  experience  with  them  was  never- 
theless so  satisfactory  that  in  later  years  he 
made  several  journeys  to  Kentucky,  selecting 
animals  approaching  as  nearly  as  possible  his 
ideal  as  represented  in  the  beef  type.  He 
bought  four  heifers  from  H.  H.  Hankins  of 
Ohio  and  also  purchased  females  from  W.  H. 
Richardson  and  the  administrator  of  T.  G.  Sud- 
duth  of  Kentucky,  paying  as  high  as  $500  for 
single  animals.  Subsequently  the  Wilhoit  herd 
developed  into  one  of  the  best  in  the  Western 
States,  largely  through  the  use  of  the  Booth- 
bred  Forest  Richard  and  Scotch  bulls,  reference 
to  which  will  be  made  further  on. 

Other  enterprising  men  who  helped  to  intro- 
duce the  breed  into  Indiana  were  J.  M.  Wood- 
ruff of  Johnson  County,  in  whose  hands  Mr. 
R.  A.  Alexander  placed  the  Woodburn  Herd  for 
safe-keeping  during  the  Civil  War;  A.  Root, 
Lake  County;  Chas.  Lowder,  Hendricks  County; 


342        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

W.  W.  Thrasher,  Fayette  County;  J.  D.  Wilson, 
Greensburg;  Alfred  and  Washington  Hadley, 
Parke  County;  Smith  Wooters,  Union  County; 
Jacob  Taylor,  Henry  County;  Joseph  Allen,  R. 
N.  Allen  and  Messrs.  Farrow  of  Putnam  County; 
James  Wright,  Franklin  County;  Messrs.  Lott 
and  T.  S.  Mitchell,  Jefferson  County;  Thos.  E. 
Talbot,  Jefferson  County;  John  Owen,  Monroe 
County;  Levi  Druley,  George  Davidson  and  L. 
F.  Van  Schoick  of  Wayne  County;  Eli  Harvey, 
Addison  Hadley  and  Sidney  Hadley  of  Morgan 
County;  W.  I.  Walker  of  La  Porte  County;  J. 
W.  L.  Matlock,  Abram  Hoadley,  V.  Lingenfel- 
ter  and  Alfred  Coffin  of  Hendricks  County; 
Messrs.  Scholfield,  Johnson  County;  Joseph  H. 
Hendricks  and  John  R.  Cravens,  Jefferson 
County;  Rockhill  &  Nelson  and  L.  S.  Bayless, 
Allen  County;  Nicholas  Druley,  Union  County, 
and  E.  Pierce,  Whitley  County. 

Pioneer  breeders  of  Michigan.—  In  1843  Mr. 
A.  S.  Brooks  of  Oakland  County,  who  had  re- 
moved to  Michigan  from  New  York  several 
years  previous,  ordered  sent  from  York  State 
three  heifer  calves  and  a  bull  calf,  all  to  be  pure- 
bred Short-horns.  With  the  cows  came  a  lot  of 
Merino  lambs.  After  a  perilous  journey  on  the 
lake  from  Buffalo  they  were,  through  the  care- 
lessness of  an  attendant,  turned  loose  in  the 
streets  of  Detroit  and  were  not  located  until 
three  days  afterward.  They  were  then  driven 


PROGRESS   IN   THE   CENTRAL   WEST.          343 

from  Detroit  to  Mr.  Brook's  farm.  Some  idea 
of  the  discouragement  which  attended  early 
ventures  of  this  sort  in  the  West  may  be 
gleaned  from  the  fact  that  one  of  his  neigh- 
bors remarked  after  the  arrival  of  this  stock: 
"The  calves  are  a  very  good  lot,  but  the  bull 
has  evidently  been  fed  on  shortcake  and  honey. 
But  I  do  not  see  what  you  wanted  to  bring 
those  little  lambs  so  far  for.  It  would  take  a 
dozen  of  them  to  make  a  pot-pie."  The  critic 
was  a  man  by  the  name  of  Chapman,  and  his 
was  riot  the  first  instance  on  record  where  one 
who  "came  to  scoff  remained  to  pray."  Mr. 
Chapman  was  the  first  to  buy  a  Short-horn 
heifer  calf  from  Mr.  Brooks,  for  which  he  paid 
the  munificent  sum  of  $10!  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  this  was  an  era  of  very  low  prices 
and  scarce  money  in  the  West,  and  the  fact 
that  Mr.  Brooks  sold  a  calf  for  such  a  price 
fairly  established  his  reputation  as  a  cattle- 
breeder,  for  the  simple  reason  that  one  could 
buy  a  cow  at  that  period  for  the  price  named.* 
The  first  Michigan  State  Fair  was  held  at  De- 
troit in  1849,  and  Short-horns  were  exhibited 
by  Messrs.  Brooks  and  Ira  Phillips.  The  fol- 
lowing year  the  show  was  held  at  Ann  Arbor, 
and  it  is  recorded  that  there  were  thirty-four 
head  of  Short-horns  on  exhibition  distributed 


*  Paper  by  N.  A.  Clapp  before  the  Michigan  Slate  Short-horn  Breeders' 
Association,  1881. 


344        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

among  nineteen  breeders.  Some  of  these  were, 
however,  unable  to  present  satisfactory  evi- 
dences of  pure  breeding  and  were  classed  as 
grades.  In  1851  the  Short-horn  exhibit  had 
increased  to  thirty-seven  head.  In  1853  Mr. 
Brooks  sold  at  auction  his  herd  of  non-pedi- 
greed stock,  and  then  brought  from  New  York 
the  bull  Yonondeo  1116,  sired  by  Old  Splendor 
767  of  the  Weddle  stock.  He  also  bought  the 
yearling  heifer  Fatima,  for  which  he  paid  $250, 
and  in  1858  the  imported  Gwynne  cow  Camilla. 
These  purchases  were  followed  by  the  bull  John 
o'  Gaunt  1707^,  a  white,  sired  by  imp.  John  o' 
Gaunt  (11621)  out  of  imp.  Romelia,  brought  out 
from  England  by  Morris  &  Becar  in  1854.  Soon 
after  this  it  is  stated  that  Mr.  Brooks  sold  a 
pair  of  two-year-old  Short-horn  steers  for  the 
very  gratifying  price  of  $228.50.  This  was  in 
1860.  Soon  afterward  he  bred  a  very  famous 
white  heifer  that  attracted  the  attention  of  en- 
terprising farmers  throughout  the  entire  State. 
She  was  fattened  and  bought  by  Mr.  Wm.  Smith 
of  Detroit,  with  the  expectation  of  exporting 
her  to  England  for  exhibition  at  the  Smithfield 
Show.  This  project  was  not  carried  out,  how- 
ever, and  she  was  slaughtered  in  Detroit.  Imp. 
Camilla  gave  Mr.  Brooks  the  bull  Sunrise  4411. 
He  was  white  in  color,  symmetrical  in  form, 
and  of  extraordinary  handling  quality.  He 
remained  at  the  head  of  the  herd  until  five 


PROGRESS    IN   THE   CENTRAL   WEST.          345 

years  old,  and  his  descendants  were  for  many 
years  much  sought  after  by  Michigan  breed- 
ers. 

In  1847  George  W.  Phillips  of  Eomeo  began 
breeding  from  cows  descended  from  the  impor- 
tations of  Messrs.  Weddle  and  Newbold  of  New 
York,  his  first  bull  being  Young  Splendor  3611. 
In  1848  Edward  Belknap  of  Jackson  County 
founded  a  herd  with  the  bull  American  Comet, 
a  son  of  the  Bell-Bates  cow  imp.  Hilpa,  at  the 
head.  Mr.  Belknap's  foundation  cow  was 
Estelle  2d,  descended  from  Whitaker  stock- 
Messrs.  Moore  of  Kalamazoo  County  owned 
a  few  Short-horns  in  the  early  fifties.  In 
1857  Mr.  D.  M.  Uhl  of  Ypsilanti  appears  as  an 
exhibitor  and  breeder.  About  the  same  time 
Silas  Sly  of  Wayne  County  engaged  in  the  trade 
and  was  a  successful  showman  at  the  Michigan 
State  Fairs.  In  1855  Mr.  J.  B.  Crippen  of  Cold- 
water  entered  the  lists  and  pushed  the  breed 
with  vigor.  He  was  quite  an  extensive  breeder 
and  did  much  to  encourage  the  use  of  Short- 
horn bulls  throughout  the  State.  In  the 
spring  of  1857  William  Curtis  &  Sons  of  Hills- 
dale  County  laid  the  foundation  of  a  herd 
which  afterward  became  very  prominent  in 
the  State.  In  1861  they  bought  the  entire 
Crippen  herd,  and  in  1864  secured  the  bull 
Llewellyn  6596  from  J.  0.  Sheldon  of  New 
York,  They  afterward  visited  Kentucky  and 


846        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

purchased  females  of  the  Illustrious,  Harriet, 
Young  Mary,  Young  Phyllis  and  White  Rose 
tribes,  as  well  as  the  bull  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  that 
was  shown  with  great  success.  Other  Michigan 
breeders  recording  in  Vol.  Y  of  the  Herd  Book, 
issued  in  1861,  were  B.  J.  Bidwell  of  Tecumseh— 
who  seems  to  have  started  his  herd  with  cattle 
purchased  mainly  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky;  his 
foundation  stock  consisting  largely  of  "  Seven- 
teens,"  Daisys  (by  Wild),  Amelias,  etc. — and  M. 
Shoemaker  of  Jackson,  whose  Belleflowers  (of 
the  Pansy  tribe)  obtained  a  good  local  reputa- 
tion. The  latter  also  had  the  Estervilles  of  the 
E.  P.  Prentice  (N.  Y.)  stock. 

Amos  F.  Wood  of  Mason  became  interested 
in  Short-horn  breeding  as  early  as  1852  in  the 
State  of  New  York  before  his  removal  to  Mich- 
igan. In  1867  he  brought  to  the  latter  State 
representatives  of  several  well-known  Eastern 
families,  such  as  Pansy,  by  Blaize,  and  Bright 
Eyes,  by  Favorite.  He  bred  these  two  families 
until  1872,  when  he  added  another  Pansy  and 
a  Bloom  heifer.  He  continued  breeding  from 
this  stock  until  June,  1874,  when  they  were 
sold  at  auction  at  an  average  of  $271.50.  Mr. 
Wood  was  a  Short-horn  enthusiast  and  after- 
ward established  another  herd. 

First  Short-horns  west  of  the  Mississippi. — 
The  first  pedigreed  Short-horn  cattle  taken  west 
of  the  Mississippi  River  of  which  we  have  any 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.          347 

record  were  those  with  which  the  late  N. 
Leonard  founded  his  Ravenswood  Herd  in  Coo- 
per Co.,  Mo.  This  was  in  1839,  at  which  date 
Mr.  Leonard  bought  from  George  Renick  of 
Ohio  the  bull  Comet  Star  9676.  It  is  of  inter- 
est to  note  that  this,  probably  the  first  pedi- 
greed Short-horn  bull  ever  seen  in  the  trans- 
Mississippi  region,  was  a  white.  He  was  a 
yearling,  sired  by  imp.  Comet  Halley  (1855)  out 
of  imp.  Evening  Star.  Along  with  him  came 
the  heifer  Queen,  by  imp.  Acmon  (1606)  out 
of  Lady  Paley  by  Rantipole  885;  second  dam 
imp.  Flora  by  son  of  Young  Albion  (15).  For 
these  the  sums  of  $600  and  $500  respectively 
were  paid.  They  were  shipped  via  steamer 
on  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Missouri  Rivers, 
being  landed  at  Booneville  at  large  expense  for 
transportation.  From  these  Mr.  Leonard  bred 
a  number  of  fine  cattle,  and  they,  with  their 
produce,  were  exhibited  at  the  earliest  Mis- 
souri fairs.  Thus  was  the  breed  introduced 
into  the  farther  West;  the  Ravenswood  Short- 
horns commanding  the  admiration  of  the  pio- 
neer farmers  of  that  period.  In  1853  Mr.  Leon- 
ard bought  the  bull  Malcolm  10436,  a  red-roan 
descended  from  imp.  Teeswater,  by  Belvedere. 
He  proved  a  good  sire.  The  first  "State  fair" 
held  in  Missouri  occurred  at  Booneville  in  1852, 
Mr.  Leonard  being  an  exhibitor  and  receiving 
many  prizes.  He  continued  to  exhibit  stock 


348        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

at  various  fairs,  always  with  success  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War. 

The  early  volumes  of  the  herd  book  indicate 
that  pure-bred  Short-horns  were  owned  in  Mis- 
souri prior  to  and  during  the  early  days  of  the 
war  by  the  following:  Thomas  S.  Hutchinson, 
who  was  associated  with  Mr.  Leonard;  Elisha 
N.  Warfield,  Horace  H.  Brand  and  David  Gas- 
tleman  of  Cooper  County;  H.  Larimore,  Calla- 
way  County;  James  R.  Hughes,  Pettis  County; 
Messrs.  Brown,  Saline  County;  James  Doneghy, 
Jackson  County;  Messrs.  Hubbell,  Ray  County; 
Lewis  Bryan,  Elmira;  J.  A.  Talley,  St.  Charles 
County;  B,  S.  Wilson,  Booneville;  W.  D.  Mc- 
Donald, Gallatin;  D.  K.  Pitman,  St.  Charles 
County,  and  Messrs.  McIIatton  and  Phillips  of 
St.  Louis  County.  At  a  little  later  period 
Messrs.  H.  V.  P.  Block  of  Pike  County,  Richard 
and  William  Gentry  of  Sedalia;  C.  E.  Leonard, 
Jeff  Bridgford,  John  G.  Cowan,  the  Duncans,  J. 
H.  Kissinger  and  many  others  became  promi- 
nent in  the  trade. 

Foundation  Stock  in  Iowa. — In  the  report 
of  the  ninth  Iowa  State  Fair,  which  was  held 
in  1862,  it  is  stated  that  Judge  T.  S.  Wilson  of 
Dubuque  was  a  breeder  of  Short-horns  twenty 
years  prior  to  that  date,  which  would  indicate 
that  specimens  of  the  breed  were  taken  to  Iowa 
as  early  as  1S42.  He  exhibited  at  the  fair  men- 
tioned a  white  bull  called  Rocket.  At  the  first 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.  849 

Iowa  State  Fair,  which  was  held  at  Fail-field  in 
1854,  Mr.  H.  G.  Stuart  of  Lee  County  and  Tim- 
othy Day  of  Van  Buren  County  exhibited  Short- 
horns, or  "Durhams,"  as  they  were  then  com- 
monly called  in  the  West.  In  1858  J.  H.  Wal- 
lace, at  that  time  Secretary  of  the  Iowa  State 
Agricultural  Society,  published  what  he  termed 
the  Iowa  Herd  Book  and  continued  it  for  a  few 
years.  An  examination  of  these  volumes  shows 
no  record  of  cattle  calved  prior  to  1849,  and 
most  of  them  were  bred  in  the  early  fifties. 
Col.  E.  W.  Lucas  of  Iowa  City  bought  a  Short- 
horn bull  as  early  as  1845,  and  there  is  a  record 
of  a  pure-bred  bull  having  been  taken  into  Mus- 
catine  County  by  Charles  A.  Warfield  in  1841. 
These  are  the  first  references  we  have  to  the 
introduction  of  the  breed  into  the  "Hawkeye" 
State.* 

So  far  as  herd -book  records  reveal  the  facts, 
the  first  pure-bred  Short-horn  produced  in  the 
State  of  Iowa  was  the  bull  Marion  1833,  regis- 
tered as  bred  by  and  the  property  of  Samuel 
Hollingsworth,  Pilot  Grove,  Lee  County,  calved 
April  4, 1851,  sired  by  Fremont  516  and  tracing 
on  dam's  side  to  Lady  Washington  by  Diomed, 
said  to  have  been  imported  in  1837,  but  as  to 
the  facts  connected  with  her  importation  all 
Short-horn  records  are  silent.  Mr.  Hollings- 
worth seems  to  have  owned  several  females  be- 

*  We  are  indebted  for  these  facts  to  Mr.  H.  W.  Lathrop  of  Iowa  City. 


350        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

longing  to  this  same  Lady  Washington  family, 
which  will  be  found  recorded  in  the  early  vol- 
umes of  the  herd  book.  We  should  place  the 
beginning  of  his  work  a  few  years  prior  to 
1850. 

Mr.  Timothy  Day  of  Van  Buren  County  was 
one  of  the  first  to  begin  in  a  systematic  way 
the  breeding  of  registered  Short-horn  cattle  in 
Iowa.  He  commenced  about  1854,  his  founda- 
tion stock  being  obtained  mainly  from  Ken- 
tucky, and  consisted  of  animals  descending 
from  the  importation  of  1817.  The  earliest 
sires  used  in  his  herd  seem  to  have  been  Fill- 
more  2855,  a  light  roan,  bred  by  E.  G.  Bedford 
and  sired  by  the  Louan  show  bull  Perfection 
810,  and  Star  of  the  West  3469,  a  Mrs.  Motte 
bull  of  Brutus  J.  Clay's  breeding.  He  also 
seems  to  have  used  the  bull  Nicholas  Jr.  752,  a 
white,  bred  by  Jere  Duncan  and  sired  by  D'Ot- 
ley  432,  tracing  to  imp.  Fashion.  At  least  he 
recorded  females  in  Vol.  IV  of  the  American 
Herd  Book,  entering  them  as  bred  by  himself 
and  sired  by  that  bull.  It  is  possible  that  he 
simply  bought  the  dams  in  Kentucky  in  calf 
to  this  bull  and  recorded  the  progeny  as  his 
own  breeding  on  account  of  their  having  been 
dropped  in  his  possession.  During  the  great 
extension  of  Short-horn  breeding  in  the  West, 
following  the  War  of  the  Eebellion,  the  Day 
herd  became  one  of  the  most  prominent  in 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.  351 

the  Western  States  through  the  enterprise  of 
Messrs.  A.  H.  &  I.  B.  Day,  who  purchased  and 
bred  some  of  the  best  cattle  ever  owned  in  the 
State  of  Iowa,  and  exhibited  them  with  suc- 
cess in  competition  with  th.e  leading  herds  of 
the  time. 

Contemporary  with  the  elder  Day,  Mr.  H.  G. 
Stuart  of  Lee  County  founded  a  herd  and  bred 
Short-horns  in  considerable  numbers,  descended 
mainly  from  cows  of  Kentucky  breeding,  a  ma- 
jority of  them  belonging  to  the  "Seventeen" 
and  Rose,  by  Skipton,  families.  One  of  his 
earliest  bulls  appears  to  have  been  the  light 
roan  Tom  Claggett  2299,  bred  in  Bourbon  Co., 
Ky.,  by  Peter  Hedges.  About  this  same  date 
—1854 — an  organization  known  as  the  Ohio 
Stock-Breeding  Co.  operated  quite  largely  in 
Ohio-bred  Short-horns  in  Butler  County,  mak- 
ing their  purchases  mainly  from  the  herds  of 
Messrs.  Dun,  Harrold,  Jacob  Pierce  and  their 
contemporaries.  They  seem  to  have  pushed 
their  business  with  some  vigor;  at  any  rate 
they  were  enterprising  enough  to  have  pre- 
pared and  inserted  in  Vol.  Ill  of  the  herd  book, 
published  in  1857,  an  illustration  of  their  big 
red -and -white  Caroline,  by  Dash  wood,  cow 
Quince,  of  James  Dun's  breeding.  In  this 
same  volume  of  the  herd  book  Peter  Melendy 
of  Butler  County  first  appears  as  the  owner  of 
the  Ohio-bred  light-roan  " Seventeen"  cow  Ar- 


352        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

tetnesia  3d,  whose  bull  calf  of  December,  1857 
— Champion  2615 — was  sold  to  William  Bidden 
of  Bremer  County.  Mr.  Melencly  seems  to  have 
first  used  the  bull  Young  Colonel  3584,  bred  by 
John  G.  Dun  of  Ohio.  He  sold  an  Artemesia 
heifer,  calved  in  1858,  to  George  Clark  of  Cedar 
Falls.  Among  the  other  owners  of  Short-horns 
in  Iowa  in  the  "fifties"  were  John  Patterson  of 
Burlington;  B.  N.  Moore  of  Van  Buren  County; 
George  Griff  en  of  Monroe  County  ;  J.  H.  Majors 
of  Mahaska  County ;  John  E.  Teter  of  Jasper 
County,  who  owned  a  roan  Ohio-bred  Rose  of 
Sharon  cow  that  was  calved  in  1856;  and  W. 
Duane  Wilson  of  Fairfield,  who  appears  in  Vol. 
Ill  as  the  owner  of  an  Ohio-bred  Rosabella. 

About  1860  a  religious  order  holding  3,000 
acres  of  good  land  in  Dubuque  County  under 
the  title  of  the  Corporation  of  New  Melleray* 
established  a  herd  of  Short-horns.  They  bred 
largely  from  stock  tracing  to  the  importa- 
tion of  1817;  one  of  their  earliest  bulls  having 
been  Emperor  3910,  bred  by  Capt.  James  N. 
Brown  of  Illinois  and  sired  by  imp.  King  Al- 
fred. One  of  their  foundation  cows  was  the 
roan  Beauty  Spot — a  daughter  of  Mr.  War- 
field's  Renick  903— bred  in  Kentucky  in  1854. 
They  also  purchased  a  cow  from  Hon.  J.  D. 
Smith  of  Illinois,  and  another  bred  in  1854 

'The  Brothers  making1  up  this  Catholic  organization  came  originally 
from  Ireland  in  1831;  establishing-  upon  the  fertile  body  of  land  secured  in 
Dubuque  County  what  is  known  as  New  Melleray  Abbey. 


PROGRESS   IN   THE   CENTRAL   WEST.          353 

from  John  P.  Henderson  of  Morgan  Co.,  111.  It 
was  from  this  corporation  that  "Uncle  John" 
G.  Myers  of  Washington  County  bought  his 
first  Short-horns  in  the  early  "sixties";  haul- 
ing them  across  country  in  wagons. 

Such  were  the  beginnings  of  the  Short-horn 
trade  in  the  great  cattle-growing  State,  which 
perhaps  now  numbers  within  its  borders  more 
herds  than  any  other  State  in  the  Union. 

Early  Wisconsin  herds. — We  have  referred 
on  page  276  to  an  importation  made  into  Wis- 
consin direct  from  England  by  John  P.  Roe  of 
Waukesha  County  in  1854.  Mr.  Roe  bred  from 
imp.  Raspberry  and  other  females  for  some 
years,  his  herd  being  a  source  of  supply  for  the 
farmers  of  that  part  of  the  State.  So  far  as  we 
can  ascertain,  however,  a  start  in  Short-horn 
breeding  had  been  made  shortly  before  this 
importation;  the  earliest  owners  of  registered 
stock  in  the  State  being  Messrs.  C.  H.  Williams 
of  Baraboo  and  Lambert  H.  Kissam  of  Berlin, 
M^rquette  County.  Mr.  Kissam 's  operations  do 
not  appear  to  have  been  very  extensive,  but  the 
Williams  herd  was  maintained  for  many  years 
and  became  prominent,  G.  W.  Bicknell  of  Rock 
County  appears  in  the  herd  book  as  an  owner 
of  registered  Short-horns  prior  to  1860,  as  does 
also  the  late  Richard  Richards  of  Racine.  Mr. 
Richards  was  &  devoted  admirer  of  improved 
farm  stock,  and  secured  his  first  Short-horns 


354        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

from  Northern  Illinois  herds  and  by  purchase 
in  Ohio.  One  of  his  first  investments  was  the 
Rose  of  Sharon  cow  Camilla  and  her  heifer  calf, 
bought  of  Edward  Bebb  of  Winnebago  Co.,  111. 
These  were  of  Harness  Renick's  (Ohio)  sort.  In 
the  fourth  volume  of  the  herd  book  entries  were 
made  by  Messrs.  E.  E.  Elkins  of  Kenosha,  A.  G. 
Knight  of  Racine  and  C.  F.  Hammond  of  Fond 
du  Lac  County,  all  of  whom  owned  Short-horns 
prior  to  1859.  During  the  war  little  was  done 
in  the  way  of  extending  the  trade  in  this  State, 
but  Wisconsin  took  a  prominent  part  in  the 
great  revival  of  interest  in  the  breed  that  oc- 
curred immediately  after  the  conclusion  of 
peace. 

Activity  in  the  show-yard.— While  it  thus 
appears  that  the  foundations  of  Short-horn 
breeding  had  been  laid  throughout  the  cen- 
tral corn  belt  of  the  Middle  West  prior  to  the 
Civil  War,  it  was  not  until  about  1865  that 
the  business  received  impetus  sufficient  to  en- 
list general  attention.  Quick  to  realize  the  ad- 
vantage of  public  exhibitions  as  a  means  of 
bringing  the  breed  to  the  notice  of  the  farming 
community,  enterprising  men  began,  about  the 
date  mentioned,  to  seek  for  the  best  obtainable 
specimens  for  show-yard  purposes.  Conspicu- 
ous among  those  who  came  to  the  front  in  this 
line  of  work  were  the  breeders  of  the  State  of 
Illinois.  They  had  already  taken  the  lead  so 


PROGRESS    IN   THE    CENTRAL   WEST.          355 

far  as  the  new  West  was  concerned  when  they 
made  the  importation  of  1857,  and  they  now 
began  a  campaign  in  behalf  of  Short-horns  at 
the  fairs  that  proved  productive  of  far-reaching 
results,  bringing  to  the  support  of  the  trade 
scores  of  new  recruits  whose  liberal  invest- 
ments and  enterprise  spread  the  reputation  of 
the  Short-horn  throughout  the  largest  area  of 
rich  corn  and  blue-grass  land  in  the  world. 
Some  of  the  more  important  of  these  show-yard 
operations  leading  up  to  the  great  "boom"  of 
the  "seventies"  will  now  be  noticed. 

William  R.  Duncan  and  Minister  6363. — 
Mr.  William  R.  Duncan,  a  Kentuckian  who  re- 
moved to  McLean  Co.,  111.,  about  1864,  had  bred 
cattle  for  many  years  in  his  native  State,  hav- 
ing had  in  service  at  one  time  in  his  Clark 
County  herd  Mr.  Alexander's  imp.  Orontes  2d 
(11877),  which  he  had  hired  in  the  fall  of  1855 
for  one  year  at  $655.  He  brought  with  him  to 
Illinois  a  good  lot  of  stock,  including  quite  a 
number  of  Vanmeter  Young  Marys,  Phyllises, 
etc.,  and  also  the  roan  Woodburn-bred  bull  Ox- 
ford Wiley  8753,  sired  by  imp.  Royal  Oxford 
(18774)  out  of  a  Miss  Wiley  dam.  This  bull 
subsequently  became  the  property  of  J.  B.  Ry- 
burn  of  Bloomington.  Mr.  Duncan  is  chiefly 
distinguished,  however,  in  connection  writh 
Western  Short-horn  history  by  reason  of  his 
exhibition  of  the  show  bull  Minister  6368,  bred 


356        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

by  R.  A.  Alexander,  calved  in  1863  and  brought 
to  Illinois  by  Mr.  Duncan  as  a  two-year-old  in 
1865.  He  was  a  strong-backed  red,  of  great 
scale  and  fine  style;  indeed  quite  a  typical 
specimen  of  the  class  of  bulls  then  so  popular 
in  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  He  was  sired  by  the 
Filbert  Bell-Bates  bull  Lord  Derby  4949*  out  of 
Minna  2d  by  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730);  sec- 
ond dam  the  red  cow  Minna  by  Bridegroom, 
which  Mr.  Alexander  had  imported  from  the 
herd  of  Mr.  Fawkes  of  Farneley  Hall, 

Minister  was  not  only  one  of  the  star  show 
bulls  of -his  day  in  Illinois  but  sired  show  stock, 
one  of  his  best  sons  being  the  prize  bull  Royal 
Rose  12852,  that  was  out  of  a  Yanmeter  Red 
Rose-Young  Mary  dam  and  sold  at  auction  in 
1874  for  $1,000.  Minister  was  also  the  sire  of 
the  roan  Miss  Leslie,  a  Young  Mary  that  sold 
at  Col.  King's  Dexter  Park  sale  in  1874  along 
with  her  daughter  by  Gen.  Napier  for  $4,020  to 
the  late  C.  A.  DeGraff  of  Minnesota.  He  was 
also  the  sire  of  the  Young  Phyllis  show  cows 
Pattie  Moore,  Pattie  Moore  2d  and  Queen  of 
the  Meadows. 

J.  M.  Hill's  sale. — Among  the  earlier  Illinois 
breeders  who  took  an  interest  in  the  show-ring 
was  Mr.  J.  M.  Hill  of  Harristown.  Like  most 

•Lcnxl  Derby  was  sired  by  Albion  2482,  a  white  bull  by  imp.  Grand  Turk 
(12969)— a  Bates-crossed  Booth.  Albion's  dam  was  imp.  Frances  Fairfax, 
bred  by  Mr.  Ambler  and  a  half-sister  to  Mr.  Cruickshank's  noted  stock  bull 
Lord  Raslan,  by  Crusade  (7»38). 


PROGRESS  IN  THE  CENTRAL  WEST.    357 

of  the  other  Western  breeders  of  that  day  he 
had  relied  largely  upon  Kentucky  for  his  breed- 
ing stock,  and  he  not  only  bought  some  good 
cattle  from  the  blue-grass  country  but  had  se- 
cured the  services  as  herdsman  of  David  Grant, 
who  had  been  for  a  time  in  the  employ  of  Geo. 
M.  Bedford.  Grant  was  a  Scotchman,  who  had 
gone  from  Canada  to  Kentucky  to  feed  show 
stock,  and  later  on  had  charge  of  some  of  the 
most  celebrated  prize-winners  ever  shown  in 
the  West.  Mr.  Hill  died  suddenly  at  Quincy, 
111.,  while  the  Illinois  State  Fair  of  1867  was  in 
progress,  and  Nov.  20  of  that  year  his  herd  was 
closed  out  at  auction  under  the  management  of 
J.  H.  Pickrell  as  administrator.*  Everything 
offered  sold  quickly  at  good  prices.  It  was  here 
that  the  15th  Duke  of  Airdrie  was  bought  by 
Hon.  John  Wentworth  of  Chicago  for  $1,260. 
and  "thereby  hangs  a  tale."  Hon.  M.  H.  Coch- 
rane  of  Hillhurst,  Can.,  wanted  this  bull  and 
sent  Simon  Beattie  to  the  sale  to  buy  him. 
The  bidding  was  mainly  by  Mr.  Beattie  and  a 
stranger  whose  identity  was  unknown  to  any  of 
the  breeders  present.  The  "unknown"  had  his 

*The  Grove  Park  Herd  of  James  N.  Brown  &  Sons  had  never  failed  to 
g-et  the  herd  prize  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair  after  the  herd  competition  was 
inaugurated  until  1867  at  Quincy.  At  that  fair  J.  H.  Pickrell's  herd  was 
awarded  the  first  prize  both  for  aged  animals  and  for  young1  herd.  Mr. 
Hill,  who  died  on  the  grounds  at  the  close  of  that  show,  won  the  second 
prizes  on  both  herds.  Hill  had  always  said  that  he  would  just  like  to  live 
long-  enough  to  beat  Capt.  Brown's  herd,  so  that  he  really  accomplished  his 
object.  He  was  sick  when  the  show  was  made  and  died  the  next  day,  but 
he  was  told  that  his  herd  had  beaten  Mr.  Brown's* 


358        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

way  in  the  matter,  and  after  the  Duke  was 
knocked  off  to  him  presented  credentials  from 
Mr.  Wentworth,  who  was  one  of  the  best-known 
men  in  the  State.  After  the  bull  had  been  put 
on  board  the  cars  the  buyer  produced  two  cards, 
upon  which  were  written  in  Mr.  Wentworth's 
own  handwriting  these  words:  "If  this  'green- 
horn' of  an  Irishman  gets  lost  send  this  bull  to 
John  Wentworth,  Chicago."  The  cards  were 
tied  to  the  Duke's  horns,  and  it  is  needless  to 
say  he  arrived  safely  at  Summit  Farm,  where 
he  did  good  service  up  to  his  fifteenth  year.  At 
this  same  sale  Mr.  D.  McMillan  of  Ohio,  whose 
herd  was  one  of  the  foremost  of  that  day,  sent 
an  unlimited  order  to  buy  the  cow  White  Lady, 
a  daughter  of  imp.  Western  Lady,  for  which 
Capt.  James  N.  Brown  had  paid  $1,325  at  the 
Importing  Co.'s  sale  in  1857,  and  secured  her  at 
$800. 

J.  H.  Pickrell. — We  now  reach  the  point 
where  consideration  must  be  given  to  the  work 
of  Hon.  J.  H.  Pickrell — the  present  editor  of 
the  American  Short-horn  Herd  Book — formerly 
of  Harristown,  111.,  whose  long  and  active 
identification  with  Short-horn  interests  in  the 
United  States  calls  for  conspicuous  recognition. 

Mr.  Pickrell  descends  from  a  Kentucky  and 
Virginia  ancestry.  His  father  removed  from 
Kentucky  to  Illinois  in  1828,  settling  in  Sanga- 
mon  County.  J.  H.  (or  "Henry,"  as  his  friends 


PROGRESS   IN   THE   CENTRAL   WEST.  359 

are  fond  of  calling  him)  was  born  March  20, 
1834,  in  this  State.  In  regard  to  his  earliest  in- 
duction into  the  Short-horn  trade  we  can  do  no 
better  than  quote  the  following  characteristic 
account  furnished  by  Mr.  Pickrell  himself: 

"  The  month  of  September,  1859,  found  me  in  Kentucky  for  the 
purpose  of  attending  the  Bourbon  County  Fair  at  Paris  (that  was 
then  said  to  be  the  oldest  continuous  fair  in  the  United  States) 
and  the  Kentucky  State  Fair,  that  was  held  in  Lexington  the  fol- 
lowing week.  Arriving  at  Paris  I  took  a  room  at  the  Bourbon 
House,  expecting  to  occupy  it  during  the  week.  Reaching  the 
fair  ground  soon  after  dinner  I  found  a  large  crowd  in  attendance. 
An  Illinois  gentleman  who  happened  to  be  visiting  in  an  adjoining 
county  and  had  come  to  the  fair  recognized  me  and  informed  one 
of  the  directors  that  the  President  of  the  Macon  Co.  (111.)  Fair 
was  on  the  grounds.  The  Marshal  was  at  once  started  around  the 
amphitheater  to  call  me.  I  responded,  supposing  that  he  had  a 
telegram  for  me.  He  invited  me  into  the  ring  and  introduced  me 
to  the  officers,  who  no  doubt  thought  that  Illinois  must  have  been 
hard  up  for  men  when  such  a  young  one  as  I  was  should  be  chosen 
for  such  a  position.  I  was  older,  though,  when  I  resigned  after 
nineteen  years'  continuous  service.  Whether  they  thought  so  or 
not  I  was  heartily  welcomed  and  royally  entertained  during  my 
visit.  At  the  close  of  the  day's  exhibition  I  was  invited  by  two 
or  three  directors  to  go  home  with  them.  I  at  first  declined,  stat- 
ing that  I  had  my  room  secured  for  the  fair.  After  some  good- 
natured  contention  between  them  one  of  them  remarked  that  he 
had  one  of  the  nicest  nieces  in  the  world  and  that  she  was.  going 
to  his  home  for  the  night.  The  hotel  room  was  given  up,  and  you 
can  guess  which  one  of  them  I  went  home  with. 

"  The  next  week  the  fair  was  held  at  Lexington.  As  Hon.  Bru- 
tus J.  Clay  was  President  of  both  fairs  and  Mr.  William  Warfield 
one  of  the  chief  managers  of  the  State  Fair ;  and  as  the  gentleman 
who  had  charge  of  the  Bourbon  County  Fair,  together  with  the 
young  people  I  had  met  at  Paris,  were  also  in  attendance,  I  began 
to  feel  that  I  was  not  so  much  of  a  stranger  after  all.  The  young 
ladies  were  nearly  all  daughters  of  prominent  Short-horn  breed- 
ers and  were  of  course  much  interested  in  the  awards,  and  we  all 
indulged  in  guessing  which  would  win  the  prizes.  It  was  the 
largest  and  much  the  best  display  of  Short-horns  I  had  ever  wit- 
nessed at  a  fair,  and  I  had  been  quite  successful  in  naming  the 


360        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

prize-winners.  When  the  sweepstakes  ring  was  called  from  thirty 
to  forty  cows  and  heifers  put  in  an  appearance.  One  of  the  young 
ladies  remarked  that  she  would  bet  that  I  could  not  name  the 
winner.  I  asked  her  to  name  the  stake.  She  laughingly  said  that 
she  did  not  know  what  she  had  to  bet  unless  it  would  be  herself, 
so  it  was  soon  arranged  that  I  should  bet  myself  against  her.  She 
granted  me  the  privilege  of  accepting  the  invitation  that  Mr.  War- 
field  had  tendered  me  of  examining  the  animals  before  the  awards 
were  made.  Upon  returning  to  the  amphitheater  I  named  Emma 
Hickman  (Vol.  VIII,  p.  338) ,  that  had  just  turned  her  two-year 
mark,  and  she  won  the  blue  ribbon  and  I  won  the  girl  and  got  the 
stakes.  Of  course  it  was  a  safe  bet,  for  had  she  won  I  would 
have  paid.  It  was  my  first  and  last  bet,  and,  as  getting  married  is 
a  game  of  chance  anyway,  I  have  never  been  censured  for  making 
it.  And  as  I  had  proved  (to  myself  at  least)  that  I  knew  a  good 
one  (cow,  and  girl,  too)  I  concluded  to  make  Short-horn  breeding 
my  business,  and  under  the  circumstances  I  do  not  think  that 
even  the  Hereford  or  the  'doddie'  men  would  wonder  at  my  be- 
coming a  Short-horn  breeder." 

Sweepstakes  6230. — Mr.  PickrelPs  promi- 
nence in  the  Western  Short-horn  trade  may  be 
said  to  date  from  the  year  1865,  when  he  pur- 
chased from  George  M.  Bedford  of  Kentucky 
the  red-and-white  Rose  of  Sharon  bull  Sweep- 
stakes 6230  at  $600  as  a  yearling.  Mr.  Bedford 
had  bought  the  bull  as  a  calf  from  his  breeder, 
Abram  Renick,  for  $150.  Mr.  Pickrell  had.  pre- 
viously seen  Minister  6363  and  liked  him  so  well 
that  he  would  have  been  willing  to  purchase 
him  at  a  long  price,  but  Mr.  Duncan  would  not 
part  with  him.  Sweepstakes  had  won  a  cham- 
pionship at  the  Bourbon  County  Fair  as  a  year- 
ling, having  been  "made  up"  for  that  show  by 
the  late  John  Hope,  afterward  prominent  in 
connection  with  the  Bow  Park  Short-horns  in 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.  361 

Canada.  Sweepstakes  was  sired  by  Mr.  Renick's 
Airdrie  2478  out  of  Cordelia  by  Dandy  Duke 
2691,  and  therefore  carried  a  double  cross  of 
Mr.  Alexander's  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730). 
Mr.  Bedford  afterward  regretted  having  sold 
the  bull,  but  was  induced  to  do  so  on  account 
of  his  color.  He  had  considerable  white,  and 
the  Bedford  herd  at  that  time  included  quite  a 
large  proportion  of  light-colored  cows  and  heif- 
ers. As  the  red  fancy  was  even  then  asserting 
itself,  and  as  Mr.  Bedford  had  been  offered  by  Mr. 
Renick  an  own  brother  to  Sweepstakes  that  was 
darker  in  color,  he  parted  with  the  bull  to  come 
to  Illinois.  It  is  related  that  when  "  Uncle  Abe  " 
Renick  heard  that  Mr.  Bedford  had  received  $600 
for  Sweepstakes  he  decided  that  his  Bourbon 
County  contemporary  should  not  get  the  calf 
that  he  had  already  priced  at  $150.  Mr.  Bed- 
ford went  over  at  once  to  see  about  it  and  found 
Mr.  Renick  ill.  The  housekeeper,  who  was  quite 
familiar  with  all  of  Mr.  Renick's  eccentricities, 
advised  Mr.  Bedford  not  to  notice  what  the  old 
gentleman  had  said,  saying  "old  Abe  never 
would  do  anything  when  he  was  sick."  This 
did  not  satisfy  Mr.  Bedford,  however,  and  he 
left  and  never  secured  the  bull.  Mr.  Pickrell 
states  that  Mr.  Bedford  thereupon  offered  him 
the  choice  of  his  entire  herd  if  he  would  leave 
Sweepstakes,  but  as  he  (Pickrell)  was  desirous 
of  securing  a  first-class  show  bull  he  declined 


362        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

to  avail  himself  of  this  privilege  and  shipped 
the  bull  to  Illinois.* 

At  the  time  Sweepstakes  landed  in  Illinois 
Duncan's  Minister  was  having  it  all  his  own 
way  in  the  West,  but  Mr.  Pickrell's  purchase 
soon  acquired  rank  over  him.  The  first  meet- 
ing of  these  two  young  bulls  occurred  at  the 
Illinois  State  Fair  at  Chicago  in  1866.  Minis- 
ter was  a  year  older  than  Sweepstakes,  and  in 
their  respective  classes  each  received  first 
prize,  but  in  competition  for  a  $100  bull  chan_ 

*The  first  Short-horn  Mr.  Pickrell  purchased  for  breeding1  purposes 
was  Lord  Highland  4113,  which  came  to  the  farm  in  August,  1860.  In  Janu 
ary,  1861,  he  brought  from  Kentucky  Duke  of  Rockland  2785  and  three  young 
bulls  and  seven  cows  and  heifers.  They  were  good  ones  of  "Seventeen" 
extraction.  The  next  addition  to  the  herd  was  in  June,  1863,  when  pur- 
chases were  made  in  Kentucky  from  William  Warfield,  the  late  James  Hall 
and  Maj.  Duncan.  In  1864  stock  was  bought  from  the  herd  of  Capt.  James 
N.  Brown  and  James  M.  Hill  of  Illinois.  In  1865  came  Sweepstakes  6230  and 
the  Phyllis  cow  Kate  Lewis,  of  Ben  F.  Vanmeter's  breeding — a  cow  that 
was  good  enough  to  win  first  prize  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair  in  1868,  in  com- 
petition with  one  of  the  best  collections  of  cows  ever  seen  in  the  West,  be- 
sides many  other  prizes.  Mr.  Pickrell  says:  "  Kate  Lewis  was  one  of  the 
best  specimens  of  a  beef  cow  that  I  ever  saw  and  at  the  same  time  was  the 
best  milk  cow  that  was  ever  In  my  herd.  We  did  not  make  formal  tests 
then,  as  they  do  nowadays,  to  see  the  amount  and  quality  of  milk  she  would 
give,  but  I  often  measured  it  after  a  good  big  calf  had  finished  nursing, 
and  frequently  we  would  get  a  wooden  pail  full.  She  was  the  dam  of  Baron 
Lewis  9484,  that  I  sold  for  $3,000  (the  first  animal  bred  in  Illinois  that  sold 
for  that  much).  He  was  her  third  calf  and  she  died  of  milk  fever  after  he 
was  produced."  At  this  same  time  Princess  Ann  was  purchased  from  B. 
J.  Clay.  She  produced  Princess  Belle  (Vol.  VIII,  page  516),  a  heifer  that 
won  a  sweepstakes  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair  over  all  competitors  at  two 
years  old.  She  unfortunately  took  the  lump-jaw,  and  as  medical  aid  failed 
to  cure  her  was  slaughtered  and  her  skeleton  was  preserved  and  mounted 
and  sent  to  the  University  of  Illinois,  at  Champaign.  This  was  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  revival  in  prices,  and  these  three  animals  cost,  respectively, 
1600,  $400  and  $250.  The  price  was  thought  by  many  to  be  exorbitant,  but  it 
did  not  turn  out  so.  They  proved  to  be  a  splendid  investment.  The  princi- 
pal addition  to  the  herd  in  1866  was  made  from  Israel  Pierce,  whose  stock 
came  from  the  Messrs.  Dun  of  Madison  Co.,  O.  This  purchase  was  followed 
the  next  year  by  others  from  Messrs.  John  G.  and  W.  D.  Dun,  seven  from 
B.  C.  Bedford  of  Paris  (Ky.)  and  five  from  the  administrator's  sale  of  the 


PROGRESS   IN   THE   CENTRAL   WEST.  363 

pionship  the  Rose  of  Sharon  was  successful. 
The  following  week  at  St.  Louis  he  again  cap- 
tured $300  in  prizes.  These  victories  were  re- 
peated at  the  same  shows  in  1867,  $600  in 
money  being  awarded  the  Pickrell  bull.  Of 
the  four  large  prizes  shown  for  by  these  two 
bulls  during  the  years  of  1866-1867,  aggregat- 

late  J.  M.  Hill,  held  in  November  of  that  year.  In  1868  Hannibal  6838  was 
purchased.  Imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730)  was  his  grandsire,  great-grandsire 
and  great-great-grand  sire. 

In  December,  1868,  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster  7535  and  Prairie  Blossom, 
Vol.  IX,  page  879  (from  the  herd  of  J.  O.  Sheldon,  Geneva,  N.  Y.),  were 
added.  In  1869  some  cows  were  purchased  from  Thomas  Warfield  of 
Macon  Co..  111.  In  1he  lot  was  the  mother  of  Lord  Highland  4113.  Her  first 
calf  after  coming  i.  ->  the  herd  was  Daisy  Booth,  by  Baron  Booth  of  Lan- 
caster, that  sold  for  U,310  as  a  yearling.  In  this  purchase  also  was  Bride 
15th  (Vol.  X,  page  521),  that  produced  Lady  Bride,  that  sold  at  public  auction 
for  $2,850,  and  afterward  won  every  prize  she  showed  for.  Another  noted 
cow  that  came  about  that  time  was  Lady  Fairy  12th,  from  Mr.  Warfield  s 
herd,  and  Princess  Royal  5th,  from  B.  J.  Clay's  herd.  One  or  two  animals 
were  added  in  1870.  In  1871  some  Lady  Elizabeths  were  bought  from  T.  C. 
Stoner,  Macon  County,  who  had  bought  them  from  the  herd  of  the  Messrs. 
Hamilton  of  Kentucky.  In  this  lot  was  a  calf,  Maggie  Ellen  (Vol.  XI,  page 
861),  by  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster,  that  was  sold  to  the  Government  of 
Japan  for  $1,000,  one  of  the  first  lot  of  cattle  ever  known  to  have  been  ex- 
ported to  that  country. 

Mr.  Pickrell  displayed  a  fondness  for  the  excitement  of  the  show-yard 
at  an  early  age.  In  the  spring  of  1840  his  grandfather  gave  him  a  sucking 
mare  colt,  and  although  the  boy  was  but  six  years  old  at  the  time  he  rode 
the  dam  to  Springfield,  exhibited  the  colt  and  took  first  prize,  which  was  a 
big  silver  spoon,  marked  "  Sangamon  County  Agricultural  Society,  1840." 
Mr.  Pickrell  has  that  token  of  his  early  show-ring  prowess  yet.  The  first 
year  that  he  owned  a  Short-horn  ( 1861)  he  made  an  exhibit  and  won  a  prize. 
The  next  year  he  showed  at  Macon,  Logan  and  Sangamon  County  (111.) 
Fairs.  His  career  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair  commenced  in  1863  and  contin- 
ued for  many  years,  in  the  course  of  which  he  visited  as  an  exhibitor  va- 
rious other  State  fairs,  including  Indiana,  Ohio  and  Iowa,  and  never  miss- 
ing the  St.  Louis  show  when  they  had  a  fair  at  that  city.  Deducting 
amounts  paid  for  transportation,  feed,  etc.,  he  received  during  the  nine  years 
from  the  fall  of  1866  to  the  fall  of  1874  $9,120  in,  prizes,  and  it  may  also  be 
added  that  during  the  first  fifteen  years  he  bred  Short-horns  he  received 
from  other  breeders  $2,570  for  the  use  of  bulls,  a  certain  indication  that  they 
were  good  ones. 

Mr.  Pickrell  says:  "Just  for  curiosity  at  one  time  I  computed  the  perio.d 
of  gestation  of  100  cows  in  my  herd.  The  shortest  period  was  256  days  and 
the  longest  2%  days  (both  cow  calves),  the  average  being  283  days." 


864        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

ing  in  value  $1,000,  Sweepstakes  gained  three, 
possessing  a  value  of  $900.  At  the  Illinois 
State  Fair  of  1868  Sweepstakes  won  the  $200 
prize  offered  for  bull  with  five  of  his  get.  In 
brief  he  was  the  ranking  bull  of  the  breed  in 
the  West  for  the  years  mentioned.  He  was 
closer  to  the  ground  than  Minister,  possessed 
fine  finish,  ample  substance,  and  good  depth 
and  quality  of  flesh.  He  had  been  well  han- 
dled from  the  time  Mr.  Hope  had  first  fitted 
him,  and  proved  an  exceedingly  useful  stock- 
getter,  leaving  many  valuable  calves  in  the 
Pickrell  herd.*  He  was  finally  sold  to  Mr.  G. 
J.  Hagerty  of  Ohio,  in  whose  hands  he  added 
still  further  to  his  laurels,  siring  among  other 
choice  stock  there  the  show  heifers  Blue  Belle 
14th  and  Bonnie  Belles  7th  and  13th. 

Gen.  Grant  4825.— While  Kentucky  was  the 
chief  source  of  supply  for  the  early  Illinois, 
Indiana  and  Missouri  herds,  it  remained  for 
Ohio  to  contribute  to  the  West  one  of  the 
greatest  all-around  show  and  breeding  bulls  of 
American  production  ever  owned  in  the  West- 

*  After  the  Hill  dispersion  sale  Mr.  Pickrell  had  engaged  David  Grant  to 
take  charge  of  his  stock,  and  that  capable  feeder  and  herdsman  was  identi- 
fied with  the  great  triumphs  of  Mr.  Pickrell's  show  herds  most  of  the  time 
until  1875,  and  it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  a  large  share  of  the  success  at- 
tained was  due  to  "  Davy's  "  fidelity  and  good  judgment. 

George  Story  was  also  at  Mr.  Hill's  at  the  time  of  the  proprietor's  de- 
cease. His  brother  William  Story  came  to  Mr.  Pickrell's  in  time  to  fit 
Sweepstakes  and  the  rest  for  the  shows  of  1807.  He  was  also  from  Canada 
and  had  been  working  with  sheep  with  William  Miller.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  William  was  a  proud  lad  when  his  pets  won  first  prize  that  year 
over  the  Hill  cattle  brought  into  the  ring  by  Grant  and  George  Story. 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.  365 

ern  States — the  far-famed  Gen.  Grant  4825. 
Few  bulls  can  boast  a  longer  list  of  show-yard 
honors,  and  no  other  sire  ever  used  in  the  State 
left  a  legacy  more  valuable  than  the  daughters 
of  Gen.  Grant  proved  to  be  in  leading  Western 
herds.  Calved  in  1862  in  the  herd  of  D.  McMil- 
lan of  Xenia,  this  remarkable  bull  was  shown 
for  five  years  by  his  breeder  at  the  leading 
fairs  of  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois  with  but  one 
defeat.  Passing  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  J.  H. 
Spears  of  Tallula,  111.,  in  1867,  he  not  only  con- 
tinued to  carry  prizes  at  the  Illinois,  Iowa  and 
St.  Louis  shows  but  sired  some  of  the  best  cat- 
tle the  West  has  ever  known. 

Gen.  Grant  came  of  a  noble  ancestry.  His 
sire  was  the  $3,000  bull  imp.  Starlight  (see 
page  252),  one  of  the  best  bulls  ever  owned  in 
the  State  of  Ohio.  His  dam  was  Mr.  McMil- 
lan's great  show  cow  Jessie  (winner  of  more 
first  and  championship  prizes  at  leading  Ohio, 
Indiana,  Illinois  and  Kentucky  fairs  from  I860 
to  1867  than  any  other  cow  of  her  day),  by 
Starlight  2cl  2259.  It  thus  appears  that  Gen. 
Grant  was  the  product  of  mating  a  son  and  a 
daughter  of  old  imp.  Starlight.  The  youngster 
grew  to  be  a  remarkably  compact  bull,  with 
the  general  appearance  at  first  glance  of  being 
somewhat  undersized;  but  in  good  flesh  he 
would  tip  the  beam  at  2,400  Ibs.  His  head  was 
good — perhaps  a  little  too  masculine  to  fill  the 


366        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

eye  of  some;  but  "sweet"  heads,  are  not  spe- 
cially to  be  desired  in  breeding  bulls.  His  eye 
was  remarkably  mild,  his  neck  short,  his  shoul- 
ders smooth  and  his  chine  and  back  good.  He 
was  rather  high  at  root  of  tail  and  wanted 
filling  at  the  flank;  but  he  was  well  balanced 
in  essential  points,  had  a  mellow  hide  and 
one  of  the  silkiest  coats  of  hair  ever  seen. 
In  disposition  he  was  so  quiet  that  a  child 
could  handle  him,  in  this  respect  resembling 
his  great-grand  sire  Mario,  a  bull  that  Judge 
Jones  states  never  required  a  nose-ring. 

Of  the  career  of  Gen.  Grant  in  the  show-ring 
it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  speak  at  length.  In 
the  hands  of  Mr.  McMillan  he  was  exhibited  in 
Ohio  and  Indiana  up  to  and  including  his  fifth 
year,  and  in  all  that  time  met  with  but  one  de- 
feat.* Passing  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Spears 
he  was  shown  with  his  get  all  over  the  West, 
capturing  the  highest  honors  in  competition 
that  would  astonish  some  exhibitors  at  the 


*An  amusing  incident  occurred  one  year  when  Mr.  Spears  exhibited 
Gen.  Grant  at  the  head  of  his  herd  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair  at  Peoria. 
He  was  the  oldest  and  perhapc  the  largest  bull  in  the  ring  at  the  head 
of  a  herd.  As  the  regularly-appointed  committee  failed  to  respond  to  the 
call  the  superintendent  concluded  that  he  would  send  in  a  committee 
composed  of  strangers  to  the  exhibitors.  As  there  was  a  big  show  on  this 
action  rather  startled  the  exhibitors.  When  the  "  unknowns  '  started  in 
Mr.  Byram  of  Abingdon,  111.,  who  was  showing  his  mother's  herd,  said  to 
Mr.  Spears :  "  Who's  that  committee?  "  Mr.  Spears  looked  a  long  time,  and 
not  knowing  any  of  them  said :  "  I  do  not  know,  but  I  think  they  are  a  lot  of 
shoemakers  antL  tailors."  When  after  examining  the  herds  they  brought  the 
first-prize  ribbon  to  Mr.  Spears  Mr.  Byram  said:  '>  What  do  you  think  of 
them  now?  "  "Well,"  said  Spears,  "I  reckon  they  thought  my  bull's  hide 
would  make  more  shoes  than  any  bull  in  the  ring." 


PROGRESS    IN   THE   CENTRAL   WEST.  367 

present  day.  Often  ten  or  twelve  first-class 
herds  and  twenty  to  forty  animals  would  show 
in  single  rings,  and  all  of  them  good  ones.  He 
was  the  first-prize  bull  calf  at  the  Ohio  State 
Fair  of  1862;  sweepstakes  winner  at  same  show, 
1863;  first  in  his  class  same  year  at  Wayne  Co, 
(Tnd.)  and  Indiana  State  Fairs;  first  and  sweep- 
stakes at  same  fairs,  1864;  first  prize  and  sweep- 
stakes at  the  Ohio  State  Fair,  1865;  first  prize 
and  sweepstakes  and  gold  medal  as  prize  bull 
with  five  of  his  calves  at  Indiana  State  Fair  in 
1866,  and  at  head  of  prize  herd  at  same  fair; 
first,  with  five  of  his  calves,  and  at  head  of 
prize  herd  at  Ohio  State  Fair,  1866.  In  the 
year  1865  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  herd 
awarded  first  prize  at  the  Iowa  and  Illinois 
State  Fairs.  He  was  repeatedly  awarded  the 
first  prize  at  many  county  fairs  in  Central  Illi- 
nois, won  first  prize  at  St.  Louis  and  first  with 
five  of  his  get  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair  at  Peo- 
ria  in  1873. 

In  the  herd  ~of  Mr.  McMillan  Gen.  Grant 
proved  a  most  valuable  sire,  two  of  his  get, 
Mignonette  and  Wenona,  bringing  respectively 
$3,800  and  $3,000  at  his  great  sale  soon  to  be 
mentioned.  As  to  what  he  did  in  Illinois  we 
can  do  no  better  than  to  quote  the  language  of 
Mr.  Spears:  "He  was  a  sure  and  good  server, 
and,  allow  me  to  sa}7",  the  best  and  most  uni- 
form breeder  I  ever  saw  or  ever  expect  to  see. 


368        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

He  never  got  a  calf  in  all  his  long  career  but 
what  would  readily  sell  at  a  first-class  price; 
while  as  a  show  bull  and  getter  of  show  ani- 
mals he  stands  unrivaled."  At  Mr.  Spears' 
great  sale  of  1875  the  Nelly  Ely  family,  largely 
the  get  of  Gen.  Grant  (tracing  to  imp.  Lady 
Elizabeth  by  Emperor),  were  pronounced  by 
many  of  the  most  prominent  breeders  of  Ken- 
tucky and  other  States  the  best  family  of  cows 
they  had  ever  seen  together,  and  the  fine  aver- 
age of  over  $1,500  was  attained  in  the  sale-ring 
that  day.*  Prominent  among  the  Nelly  Blys 
may  be  mentioned  the  5th  and  7th  of  the  fam- 
ily, the  latter  a  grand  breeder  and  show  cow 
and  sold  for  $2,000.  Of  his  bull  calves  the  most 
noted  that  we  now  recall  were  Mr.  Kissinger's 
famous  Starlight  11018,  Duke  of  Forest  Hill 
(never  beaten  in  the  show-ring  except  by  bulls 
got  by  Gen.  Grant)  and  Major  Story.  The  two 
latter  were  shown  at  all  the  leading  fairs  of 
the  West,  usually  winning  first  and  second.  A 
wonderful  show  calf  also  was  Major  Jones, 

*  Col.  James  W.  Judy  of  Tallula,  111.,  the  veteran  auctioneer  who  made 
this  sale,  in  response  to  a  query  as  to  the  character  of  these  cattle,  under 
date  of  Feb.  4, 1898,  said:  "  The  Nelly  Blys  bred  by  Mr.  Spears  were  a  grand 
family  of  cattle — good  feeders,  good  milkers  and  very  prolific  and  almost 
invariably  good  colors  and  very  uniform  in  their  general  make-up,  which 
was  very  neat,  and  I  think  many  of  their  sterling  qualities  were  largely  due 
to  the  blood  of  Gen.  Grant.  He  was  a  low-down,  well-proportioned,  blocky 
bull;  a  yellow  or  pale  red,  with  no  white;  solid  red,  with  a  remarkably 
mellow  hide  and  as  fine  a  coat  of  silky  hair  as  I  ever  saw  on  a  bull,  and 
was  a  very  uniform  and  regular  breeder,  and  was  a  great  factor  in  spread- 
ing the  fame  of  the  Spears  Nelly  Blys — in  fact  did  more  for  the  reputation 
of  Mr.  Spears'  herd  of  Short-horns  than  any  bull  he  ever  owned,  the  21at 
Duke  of  Airdrie  not  excepted," 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL    WEST.  369 

that  during  a  whole  fail  campaign  of  State  and 
county  fairs  (including  St.  Louis)  was  never 
beaten,  taking  sixteen  first  prizes — and  we  be- 
lieve every  time  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  the 
awarding  committee  —  in  rings  where  there 
were  often  twenty  or  more  competitors.  It  is 
idle  to  attempt  to  say  which  were  most  uni- 
formly good  of  the  get  of  Gen.  Grant — his  bulls 
or  his  heifers.  Mr.  Spears  was  never  able  to 
decide,  and  Mr.  McMillan  often  said,  after  the 
bull  came  West,  that  for  uniformity  of  breed- 
ing he  had  never  known  the  General's  equal. 
He  died  at  Mr.  Spears'  Forest  Hill  Farm  at  the 
ripe  age  of  fourteen  years. 

Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster.— We  now  have 
to  note  an  epoch-marking  event.  Mr.  Pickrell 
had  parted  with  Sweepstakes  and  Spears  wras 
triumphant  with  Gen.  Grant.  The  desire  to 
gain  honors  in  the  show-ring  now  asserted  itself 
actively  throughout  the  West.  Leaders  in  the 
trade  sought  in  ever  direction  for  heavy  show- 
yard  timber.  While  the  Kentucky  and  Ohio- 
bred  cattle  and  their  descendants  were  con- 
tending among  themselves  for  the  mastery  in 
the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Valleys  Hon.  M.  H. 
Cochrane  of  Hillhurst,  Can.,  began  a  series 
of  importations  destined  to  produce  marked 
changes  in  the  prevailing  channels  of  trade. 
In  1867  his  agent,  that  fine  judge  of  a  good 
Short-horn,  the  late  Simon  Beattie,  selected 

84 


370        A  HISTORY   OF   ^H CRT-HORN   CATTLE. 

and  brought  out  by  the  steamship  Austrian 
from  Glasgow  to  Montreal  a  cow  and  a  bull 
calf  that  proved  to  be  makers  of  history.  One 
was  Rosedale;  the  other,  Baron  Booth  of  Lan- 
caster 7535.  Of  the  former  we  shall  have  more 
to  say  later  on.  Of  the  latter  we  must  now 
speak  as  a  new  force  in  the  progress  of  the 
breed  in  the  Western  States.  Greater  cows 
than  Kosedale  may  have  trod  American  show- 
yards.  Greater  Short-horn  bulls  than  Baron 
Booth  of  Lancaster  may  have  "starred"  the 
great  show  circuits  of  the  Nation.  History  has 
failed,  however,  to  record  the  names  of  any 
such.  The  Baron  came  from  Scotland.  He 
was  bred  by  G.  R.  Barclay  of  Fifeshire  and  was 
got  by  Baron  Booth  (21212)*  out  of  Mary  of 
Lancaster — one  of  a  set  of  triplets  bred  from 
the  herd  of  Amos  Cruickshank  of  Sittyton- 
by  Lord  Raglan  (13244).  His  second  dam  was 
Lancaster  25th  (of  same  derivation  as  Mr. 
Cruickshank's  Lavenders — from  Wilkinson  of 
Lenton)  by  Matadore  (11800),  a  bull  that  was 
a  brother  to  Mr.  Alexander's  imp.  Mazurka,  by 
Harbinger.  Mr.  Cochrane  exhibited  the  young- 
ster as  a  yearling  at  Montreal,  Hamilton  and  at 


*  Baron  Booth  was  bred  by  Mr.  R.  S.  Bruere  of  Braithwaite  Hall,  York- 
shire. He  was  got  by  Prince  George  (13510)  out  of  Vesper  by  King  Arthur 
(13110),  and  was  bought  by  Mr.  Barclay  when  a  two-year-old  for  $1,000.  He 
was  the  sire,  among  other  noted  animals,  of  the  $6,000  bull  imp.  Cherub; 
Star  of  Braithwaite;  the  great  show  heifer  Booth's  Lancaster,  Booth's 
Seraphlna.'and  the  bull  Knight  of  Warlaby,  used  by  Messrs.  Hunter  in 
Canada. 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.          371 

the  New  York  State  Fair  in  1868.  At  each  show 
he  won  first  in  his  class  and  headed  the  win- 
ning herd.  A  scale  of  points  was  used  in  the 
judging  at  the  York  State  Fair,  and  Baron 
Booth  was  credited  with  950  out  of  a  possi- 
ble 970  points;  1,000  being  counted  as  perfec- 
tion in  a  female,  30  points  being  allowed  for 
udder. 

Through  Wm.  Miller  of  Canada,  afterward  of 
Storm  Lake,  la.,  Mr.  Pickrell  learned  of  the 
wonderful  young  bull  Mr.  Cochrane  had  flashed 
upon  the  public  in  Canada  and  the  East,  and  in 
company  with  W.  R.  Duncan  visited  Hillhurst. 
They  found  the  bull  even  better  than  they  had 
anticipated,  and  for  a  consideration  of  $1,550 
Mr.  Pickrell  secured  him  for  the  Harristown 
Herd.*  He  was  brought  to  Illinois  by  Mr. 
Miller,  who  with  characteristic  thrift  ran  the 
gauntlet  of  the  customs  with  a  valuation  of 
$100  on  the  bull.  The  new  arrival  was  in- 
stalled in  his  new  position  in  January,  1869, 
where  he  remained  in  service  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  while  en  route  to  the  Illinois 
State  Fair  of  1873.  It  is  doubtful  if  a  grander- 
backed  bull  has  ever  been  produced  by  the 
Short-horn  breed.  His  top  from  crest  to  tail- 
root  was  the  wonder  of  his  time.  Such  breadth 

*  Duncan  bought  a  yearling-  heifer  on  this  same  trip  out  of  Rosedale  by 
a  Duke  bull,  concerning-  which  '  Willie"  Miller  says:  "  The  sire  was  em- 
phatically bad  and  impressive.  I  believe  the  heifer  never  bred,  which  was 
}ust  as  well,  for  she  was  a  bad  one.' 


372        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

and  depth  and  evenness  of  flesh  had  not  before 
been  seen  in  the  West,  and  his  smoothly-cov- 
ered hips  were  something  of  a  revelation  to 
those  who  had  been  accustomed  to  the  rough- 
ness often  observable  at  the  "hooks"  in  the 
leading  herds  of  that  date.  He  was  a  bull  of 
magnificent  substance,  possessing  great  depth 
of  chest  and  was  heavily  filled  behind  the  shoul- 
ders. That  he  was  a  kindly  feeder  is  well  shown 
by  the  following  figures:  When  he  went  into 
herdsman  David  Grant's  hands  in  January,  1869. 
he  weighed  1,580  Ibs.;  April  28, 1,730  Ibs.;  June 
16, 1,810  Ibs.;  Aug.  31,  1,965  Ibs.;  Feb.  22,  1870, 
2,170  Ibs.;  July  1, 1870,  2,290  Ibs.;  Sept.  2,  2,400 
Ibs.,  arid  at  full  maturity  2,600  Ibs.  He  at  once 
took  and  held  a  commanding  position  in  the 
show-ring,  and  was  never  beaten,  as  a  sire 
shown  with  his  progeny.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  we  are  now  dealing  with  the  days 
of  the  battles  of  the  giants  of  the  Western 
arena;  that  the  "all-star"  combination  of  Col. 
William  S.  King,  the  like  of  which  has  possi- 
bly not  since  been  seen  in  America,  was  on 
the  road;  that  Gen.  Grant  and  Tycoon  were  in 
the  field;  that  ten  to  twelve  herds  often  en- 
tered the  competition;  that  sometimes  thirty 
to  forty  animals  were  engaged  in  a  single  ring. 
To  have  been  the  most  successful  bull  of  this 
golden  age  of  the  Western  shows  is  sufficient 
to  stamp  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster  as  the 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.  373 

greatest  Short-horn  of  his  day  and  generation 
on  this  continent. 

The  Baron  began  his  career  as  a  show  bull 
in  the  United  States  at  the  Ohio  State  Fair  of 
1869  at  Toledo,  Mr.  Pickrell  having  shipped  his 
Illinois  cattle  to  that  point,  where  he  met  great 
competition,  eleven  herds  competing  in  the 
Short-horn  class.  Daniel  McMillan  of  Ohio 
had  been  winning  the  herd  prize  at  the  Buck- 
eye show  for  so  many  years  that  it  was  consid- 
ered rather  presumptuous  on  the  part  of  an 
Illinois  breeder  to  beard  the  lion  in  his  den  in 
this  manner.  On  the  morning  of  the  show  Mr. 
Pickrell  would  have  been  very  willing  to  have 
divided  the  money  with  McMillan,  but  before 
night  he  had  been  awarded  the  $200  prize  for 
best  herd,  the  Baron  also  receiving  first  prize 
in  his  class  and  ths  $100  bull  championship. 
The  McMillan  herd  was  very  celebrated  at  this 
date,  being  headed  by  the  Canada-bred  Plan- 
tagenet  6031,  and  included  some  of  the  best 
of  the  Jere  Duncan  (Kentucky)  Louans  and 
other  good  sorts.  Mr.  Pickrell  had  visited  it  be- 
fore the  Toledo  show,  and  then  went  to  Ken- 
tucky to  attend  the  Bourbon  County  Fair.  Mr. 
McMillan  asked  him  to  examine  the  Kentucky 
herds  carefully  to  see  if  he  thought  it  would 
pay  to  send  the  Ohio  show  herd  to  that  State, 
Mr.  Pickrell  reported  favorably  and  the  Mc- 
Millan herd  was  so  exhibited,  and  with  success. 


374        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

The  Ohio  cattle  were  then  shipped  to  the  To- 
ledo and  afterward  to  the  Peoria  (111.)  Fair, 
being  defeated  at  both  points  by  the  Pickrell 
herd.  Soon  after  these  shows  the  Pickrell 
and  Spears  herds  came  together  at  the  Illinois 
State  Fair  at  Decatur.  Messrs.  McMillan  and 
Charles  Fullington,  who  were  both  noted  Ohio 
breeders  of  that  date,  were  present  as  visitors, 
and,  desiring  to  honor  them,  the  superintend- 
ent placed  them  upon  the  committee,  to  which, 
of  course,  nobody  could  object,  although  under 
the  circumstances  it  was  scarcely  fair,  as  Mr. 
Spears  had  purchased  Gen.  Grant  from  Mr. 
McMillan  and  the  bull's  dam,  Jessie,  had  been 
bred  and  owned  by  Mr.  Fullington.  They  gave 
the  Spears  herd  the  prize.  After  the  awards 
had  been  made  the  gentlemen  passed  up  to  the 
amphitheater,  where  Mrs.  Pickrell  and  her  sis- 
ter, Miss  Bedford,  who  lived  in  Kentucky,  were 
stationed,  and  of  course  the  award  was  dis- 
cussed in  the  presence  of  the  ladies;  where- 
upon Miss  Bedford  remarked  that  she  was 
"getting  scared."  She  "didn't  know  Kentucky 
was  getting  so  far  behind.  An  Ohio  herd  went 
South  and  beat  everything  there  was  in  Ken- 
tucky. This  same  herd  then  goes  to  the  Ohio 
State  Fair  and  an  Illinois  herd  comes  along  and 
defeats  it.  Then  the  following  week  the  very 
herd  that  beat  the  Ohio  herd  is  beaten  by  an- 
other Illinois  herd."  So  she  thought  Illinois 


PROGRESS    IN    THE    CENTRAL   WEST.  375 

was  getting  clear  ahead  of  Kentucky  and  was 
getting  a  little  ahead  of  Ohio.  All  of  which 
rather  annoyed  the  Ohio  breeder  and  inciden- 
tally foreshadowed  the  future.  At  this  same 
show  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster  was  so  unfor- 
tunate as  to  be  turned  down  to  third  place  in 
the  class  for  two-year-old  bulls,  first  prize 
going  to  25th  Great  Republic,  owned  by  the 
Shakers  and  shown  by  John  Martin,  and  sec- 
ond prize  to  a  bull  called  Sucker  Boy  shown  by 
Harvey  Sodowsky  of  Vermilion  Co.,  111.  Nei- 
ther of  these  bulls  cut  any  figure  in  subse- 
quent showings,  and  the  committee  that  did 
the  work  was  severely  criticised. 

In  1870  Baron  Booth  was  first- prize  and  cham- 
pion bull  at  Quincy,  111.,  at  the  Iowa  State  Fair 
and  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair,  champion  at  St. 
Louis,  first  and  champion  at  Canton,  and  stood 
at  the  head  of  the  groups  that  won  the  $100 
championship  for  best  display  at  the  Iowa  Show 
and  the  $100  prize  for  the  bull  showing  five 
best  calves  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair.  In  1871 
he  was  first  and  champion  at  the  Illinois  State 
Fair,  first  at  St.  Louis,  and  at  the  head  of  the 
first-prize  herd  at  same  show,  besides  winning 
numerous  firsts  and  championships  at  local  fairs 
for  himself  and  get.  In  1872  he  was  again  first 
and  champion  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair,  won 
the  $200  bull  sweepstakes  at  St.  Louis  and  was 
everywhere  first  with  his  get.  In  fact  he  was 


376        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

never  defeated  in  showing  with  his  progeny, 
and  during  these  four  years  gained  for  the  Pick- 
rell  herd  prizes  aggregating  in  value  over  $4,000 
cash.* 

As  a  stock-getter  he  "nicked"  especially  with 
cows  and  heifers  by  Mr.  Renick's  old  Airdrie 
2478  and  those  by  the  llth  Duke  of  Airdrie 
5533.  It  was  a  cross  upon  an  Airdrie  cow  that 
gave  Mr.  Pickrell  Baron  Lewis,  a  bull  that  de- 
feated his  sire  for  the  bull  championship  at  an 
Indiana  State  Fair  and  was  the  first  bull  ever 
bred  in  Illinois  that  commanded  a  price  of 
$3,000.  Another  Airdrie  "nick"  was  the  phe- 
nomenal Lady  Bride,  that  sold  for  $2,850  and 
walked  through  the  Illinois,  Iowa  and  Missouri 
shows  an  undefeated  heifer.  Among  the  great 
Baron  Booths  out  of  llth  Duke  of  Airdrie  dams 
may  be  mentioned  Louan  Hill's  4th  and  5th  and 
Caroline  15th,  all  noted  show  animals. 

*  Mr.  Pickrell  entered  a  competition  at  Canton,  111.,  in  1870,  where  $500 
was  offered  for  the  best  display  of  not  less  than  ten  nor  more  than  twenty 
head.  He  had  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster  at  one  end  of  a  string  of  eighteen 
head  of  nice  cows  and  heifers  and  at  the  other  end  of  the  line  had  the 
Baron's  l>est  son,  Baron  Lewis.  Mr.  Dunlap  of  Jacksonville  showed  ten 
head  and  was  awarded  first  prize.  The  relative  values  of  the  competing 
lots  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  Mr.  Dunlap  made  a  sale  the  following 
year  at  which  his  ten  prize-winners  brought  a  total  of  $2,700  and  were  con- 
sidered well  sold  at  that.  Mr.  Pickrell  sold  Baron  Lewis  alone  tor  $3,000 
and  had  his  sire  and  eighteen  cows  and  heifers  left. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


THE  BIRTH  OF  A  "BOOM." 

While  the  breeders  of  the  Central  West  were 
successfully  extending  the  Short-horn  power 
in  the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley  States,  largely 
through  the  medium  of  impressive  show-yard 
displays,  operations  were  under  way  in  Eng- 
land and  the  East  that  were  soon  to  stir  the 
trade  to  its  very  depths.  Prior  to  the  appear- 
ance in  the  West  of  imp.  Baron  Booth  of  Lan- 
caster the  Duke  of  Airdrie- crossed  cattle — 
mainly  of  Alexander,  Bedford,  Renick,  War- 
field,  Van  meter  and  Duncan  origin  —  practi- 
cally held  undisputed  possession  of  the  field. 
Aside  from  Gen.  Grant  there  were  but  few 
great  show  cattle  that  did  not  carry  some  per- 
centage of  the  blood  and  show  more  or  less  of 
the  character  of  the  Woodburn  Duke.  Daniel 
McMillan  of  Ohio  had,  it  is  true,  headed  his 
show  herd  with  the  Canada-bred  Plantagenet 
6031,  but  that  bull  was  got  by  Oxford  Lad 
(24713),  bred  by  J.  0.  Sheldon  of  New  York 
from  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie's  sire  imp.  Duke  of 
Gloster  (11382)  out  of  a  Bates  Oxford  cow,  so 
that  he  also  fell  within  the  rule  that  the  Bates- 

(377) 


378        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

crossed  Short-horns  were  the  ruling  ring-side 
power.  The  American-bred  cows,  with  which 
the  Bates  blood  had  "  nicked "  so  kindly,  were 
possessed,  as  a  rule,  of  sound  constitution  and 
ample  scale,  and  among  them  were  many  ex- 
traordinary milkers.  Some  of  them  were  more 
or  less  lacking  in  refinement  of  character.  Un- 
der these  circumstances  it  is  easy  to  under- 
stand how  the  Bates  cross  acquired  public  fa- 
vor; the  prepotent,  fine-styled,  level-lined  bulls 
of  that  strongly-bred  type  stamping  neatness 
and  finish  wherever  their  impressive  seal  was 
set. 

"Royal"  honors  for  Bates  cattle. —  On  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  while  Booth  and 
Towneley  had  been  doing  most  of  the  winning 
at  the  shows,  certain  wealthy  and  enthusiastic 
followers  of  the  fortunes  of  the  Bates-bred 
tribes  had  occasionally  tried  conclusions  with 
their  rivals  at  the  National  shows  with  good 
success.  The  Earl  of  Feversham  was  first  at 
the  Chester  Royal  of  1858  with  5th  Duke  of 
Oxford  (12762).*  At  the  Leeds  Royal  of  1861 
Col.  Grunter  won  high  honors,  gaining  first  in 
the  cow  class  with  Duchess  77th  over  animals 
shown  by  Richard  Booth  and  Lady  Pigot.  He 
was  also  first  in  three-year-old  heifers  with 

*Speaking  of  this  event  Richard  Gibson  says:  "This  was  my  first 
Royal,  and  the  impression  left  upon  my  mind  by  5th  Duke  of  Oxford  has 
never  been  obliterated.  He  was  larg-e  and  carried  lots  of  flesh.  The  way 
he  moved  and  the  air  of  conscious  superiority  he  assumed  I  have  never 
forgotten." 


THE   BIRTH   OF   A   "BOOM."  379 

Duchess  78th  —  twinned  with  Duchess  79th, 
thac  was  placed  fourth  in  same  class;  Richard 
Booth's  Soldier's  Bride  heing  second.  In  year- 
ling heifers  Gunter  was  first  with  Duchess  83d. 
It  soon  became  evident,  however,  that  the 
stock  would  not  successfully  withstand  forcing 
for  this  purpose,  and  the  show  business  was  not 
persistently  pursued.  Gunter  had  started  in 
1853  with  Duchesses  67th  and  69th,  both  white, 
and  Duchess  70th,  red-and-white,  and  soon  be- 
came the  only  possessor  of  the  tribe  in  England. 
Duchesses  exported  to  England. — In  the 
spring  of  1861  Samuel  Thorne  visited  England 
and  was  besought  on  all  sides  for 'Duke  and 
Oxford  bulls.  Accordingly,  he  sent  over  soon 
afterward  the  roan  3d  Duke  of  Thorndale  2789, 
the  roan  4th  Duke  of  Thorndale  2790,  the  white 
5th  Duke  of  Thorndale  3488,  the  red  Imperial 
Oxford  4905,  and  the  heifer  4th  Lady  of  Oxford. 
The  5th  Duke  sickened  on  the  voyage  and  died 
in  Queenstown  harbor,  but  the  rest  sold  quickly 
after  landing  at  Liverpool  at  prices  varying 
from  300  to  400  guineas  each  in  gold.  Of  these 
the  4th  Duke  of  Thorndale  and  Imperial  Ox- 
ford acquired  great  celebrity  in  England  as 
sires.  The  former  was  bought  by  Mr.  Hales  at 
400  guineas  and  earned  that  amount  in  fees 
alone  during  the  first  two  seasons.  At  Mr. 
Hales'  sale  in  1862  he  was  taken  for  the  Mar- 
quis of  Exeter  at  410  guineas  after  a  sharp  con- 


380        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

test  with  Col.  Gunter,  who  subsequently  ac- 
quired the  bull  (in  1867)  at  440  guineas.  He 
was  maintained  in  service  at  Wetherby  until 
his  death  at  ten  years  of  age  in  1869.  The  4th 
Duke  was  sired  by  Duke  of  Gloster  (11382)  out 
of  Duchess  66th,  and  enjoyed  with  the  7th 
Duke  of  York  (17754)  the  distinction  that  at 
tached  at  that  time  to  the  fact  that  the  pair 
were  the  only  "pure"  Duchess  bulls  in  Eng- 
land. Of  his  career  abroad  Mr.  Thornton 
writes: 

"  The  stock  left  by  this  bull  is  not  only  numerous  but  valuable, 
showing  the  style  and  character  for  which  the  blood  is  remark- 
able. Probably  no  bull  earned  more  money  in  single  fees.  In  ap- 
pearance he  was  a  fine-looking  animal ;  his  head  and  crest  were 
magnificent,  his  hind  quarters  long  and  good,  but  the  tail-head 
was  rather  too  high.  His  shoulders,  which  were  perhaps  a  little 
upright,  made  him  appear  somewhat  deficient  behind  them,  and 
the  great  length  of  his  quarters  detracted  from  his  middle.  In 
hair,  quality  of  flesh,  and  in  grandeur  of  style  and  carriage  he 
was  wonderfully  good." 

One  of  the  4th  Duke  of  Thorndale's  English- 
bred  heifers  from  a  Cambridge  Rose  dam  gave 
rise  to  what  is  known  as  the  Thorndale  Roses, 
the  original  heifer  of  that  name  being  sold  pri- 
vately in  1864  for  200  guineas  to  Mr.  Betts. 
Her  half-sister,  The  Beauty,  by  Puritan  (9523), 
for  which  Mr.  Jonas  Webb  gave  160  guineas  at 
the  Cobham  Park  sale,  was  bought  by  Lord 
Braybrooke  at  Webb's  sale  of  1863  in  calf  with 
Heydon  Rose,  which  in  the  hands  of  his  lord- 
ship founded  a  costly  family  bearing  her  name. 
Nine  descendants  of  The  Beauty  at  the  Webb 


*  _  >' 


THE    BIRTH    OF   A   *  BOOM.  381 

sale  made  1,253  guineas;  one  bull,  Lord  Chan- 
cellor (20160),  afterward  a  Royal  winner,  bring- 
ing 400  guineas. 

Imperial  Oxford  was  extensively  used  upon 
the  Grand  Duchesses,  being  the  sire  of  the  fa- 
mous Grand  Duchess  17th.  4th  Lady  of  Oxford 
also  acquired  renown,  not  only  as  a  breeding 
animal,  but  in  the  show-yard  as  well.  In  1862 
Mr.  Thorne  sent  to  England  Lord  Oxford  3091, 
2d  Lord  Oxford,  Bishop  of  Oxford,  and  Duke  of 
Geneva  3858  of  J.  0.  Sheldon's  breeding.  These 
also  brought  high  prices,  600  guineas  being  ob- 
tained for  the  latter.  The  Duke  entered  the 
English  show-yard  with  success  and  became 
very  famous  in  the  Bates  Short-horn  breeding 
ranks,  dying  the  property  of  Lord  Penrhyn  in 
1867.  These  shipments  were  followed  by  the 
exportation  by  Ezra  Cornell*  of  Ithaca,  N.  Y., 
of  the  young  bull  3d  Lord  of  Oxford  4958,  bred 
by  Mr.  Thorne;  that  also  sold  on  the  other  side 
for  600  guineas. 

Early  in  the  "  sixties"  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander 
exported  to  England  2d  Duke  of  Airdrie 
(19600),  5th  Duke  of  Airdrie  (19601)  and  the 

*  Mr.  Cornell,  who  was  the  munificent  founder  of  Cornell  University,  had 
made  an  importation  of  Bates  cattle  from  England,  in  1863,  consisting-  of  two 
Fidget  heifers  (Bell-Bates),  and  a  Kirklevington  from  C.  W.  Harvey.  He 
maintained  a  herd  of  Short-horns  for  a  number  of  years ;  the  pedigrees  of 
most  of  which  may  be  found  in  Vols.  VIII  to  XVI  of  the  herd  book. 

Among  other  Eastern  breeders  who  were  becoming  prominent  in  Short- 
horn breeding  about  this  time  were  Messrs.  A.  B.  Conger,  T.  L.  Harison, 
George  Butts  and  Messrs.  Wadsworth  of  New  York:  Messrs.  Winslow  and 
A.  W.  Griswold  of  Vermont;  Augustus  Whitman  of  Massachusetts  and  B. 
Sunnier  of  Connecticut. 


382        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

6th  Duke  of  Airdrie  (19602).  These  all  repre- 
sented outcrosses  upon  the  Duchess  tribe.  The 
2d  Duke  was  a  roan  sired  by  the  Duchess- 
crossed  Booth 'bull  imp.  El  Hakim  (15984).  He 
was  calved  in  the  fall  of  1856  and  in  1859  was 
awarded  a  $1,000  championship  at  the  St.  Louis 
Fair.  He  was  a  bull  of  marked  excellence,  and 
became  the  property  in  England  of  Messrs.  C. 
Howard  of  Biddenham  and  J.  Robinson  of  Clif- 
ton Pastures.  The  5th  Duke  was  also  a  roan, 
calved  in  the  spring  of  1859.  He  was  sired  by 
a  bull  called  Lord  Languish  (20188),  that  had 
been  bred  at  Woodburn  from  imp.  2d  Duke  of 
Athol  and  imp.  Lydia  Languish,  by  Duke  of 
Gloster  (11382);  a  cow  that  traced  in  the  ma- 
ternal line  to  the  herd  of  Mr.  Robertson  of 
Lady  kirk.  The  5th  Duke  was  used  by  Mr.  T. 
Barber  of  Sproatley  Rise.  The  6th  Duke  of 
Airdrie  was  a  red,  dropped  in  the  spring  of 
1860  by  2d  Duchess  of  Airdrie  to  a  service  by 
the  white  bull  imp.  Albion,  son  of  imp.  Grand 
Turk  (12969)  and  Fawkes'  Frances  Fairfax.  The 
breeding  of  these  bulls  and  the  fact  of  their  ex- 
portation shows  that  the  fashion  for  cattle  bred 
strictly  in  the  Bates  line  did  not  receive  the 
countenance  of  the  broad-minded  proprietor 
of  Woodburn,  and  that  fresh  blood  in  Mr.  Bates' 
favorite  family  was  not  deemed  an  objection  in 
the  minds  of  at  least  a  portion  of  the  English 
Short-horn  breeding  public  at  that  date.  Imp. 


THE   BIRTH   OF   A    "BOOM."  383 

Albion  was  also  exported    back  to  England 
along  with  these  Dukes  of  Airdrie. 

The  Grand  Duchesses.  —  A  very  famous 
branch  of  the  Duchess  tribe,  descended  from 
Mr.  Bates'  Duchess  51st,  had  been  founded  in 
England  under  the  name  of  Grand  Duchesses. 
They  originated  with  Mr.  S.  E.  Bolden  of 
Springfield  Hall,  Lancashire,  who  sought  to 
correct  what  he  regarded  as  the  faults  of  the 
Bates  type  by  means  of  fresh  crosses.  Accord- 
ingly he  introduced  extraneous  blood  through 
the  medium  of  the  bulls  Cherry  Duke  (12589), 
Prince  Imperial  (15095)  and  2d  Duke  of  Bolton 
(12739).  The  two  latter  carried  Booth  blood; 
the  Prince  having  for  dam  Bridecake  of  the 
Bliss  tribe,  and  the  latter  running  to  Richard 
Booth's  Fame.  While  the  family  attained 
great  reputation,  and  produced  some  extraor- 
dinary individual  animals,  such  as  Grand  Duke 
3d  (16182)  and  that  remarkable  cow  Grand 
Duchess  17th,  by  Mr.  Thome's  Imperial  Oxford 
(18084),  some  of  the  partisans  of  Bates  breed- 
ing have  strenuously  denied  that  the  outcrosses 
really  did  anything  for  the  vitality  of  the  stock. 
The  fact  nevertheless  remains  that  in  later 
years  the  so-called  "pure"  Duchesses  became 
totally  extinct,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
Airdrie  and  Grand  Duchesses,  both  of  which 
carried  Booth  outcrosses,  Mr.  Bates'  favorite 
family  would  have  disappeared. 


384        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Mr.  Bolden  had  sold  in  1860  twenty  head  of 
Bates  Waterloos  at  an  average  of  £92;  Sir  Cur- 
tis Lampson  giving  165  guineas  for  Waterloo 
.20th.  In  1862  he  disposed  of  his  entire  herd, 
including  the  Grand  Duchesses,  to  Mr.  Ather- 
ton,  who  soon  afterward  parted  with  the  Grand 
Duchess  family,  consisting  of  nine  cows  and 
four  bulls,  to  Mr.  Hegan  of  Dawpool  at  private 
sale  for  the  lump  sum  of  £5,000.  Three  of 
these  cows  proved  barren,  and  after  Mr.  He- 
gan's  death  in  1865  the  tribe — by  that  time 
numbering  seventeen  head,  of  which  twelve 
were  females  and  five  bulls — sold  at  a  memor- 
able auction  held  at  Willis'  rooms  in  London. 
The  Thorndale  bull  Imperial  Oxford  had  been 
used  in  the  herd  and  was  also  included  in  this 
sale.  It  had  been  Mr.  Hegan's  desire  to  close 
the  lot  out  as  a  whole,  and  it  was  understood 
that  the  Hon.  Col.  Pennant  had  offered  £6,000 
for  the  twelve  females.  This  was  perhaps  the 
first  case  on  record  where  cattle  were  sold  at 
auction  without  the  animals  being  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  bidders.  The  stock  had  been  pre- 
viously examined  at  Dawpool. 

The  sale  proved  thoroughly  sensational  in 
many  respects,  as  is  shown  by  the  comments 
of  the  London  press  at  that  time.  From  the 
Illustrated  News  we  quote : 

"  A  perfect  bridal  lunch  greeted  the  congress  of  about  120  lead- 
ing Short-horn  men — peers,  M.  P.s,  clergymen  and  laymen — who 
attended  to  see  the  great  battle  at  Willis'  rooms  over  the  eighteen 


THE   BIRTH   OF   A   "BOOM."  385 

Grand  Dukes  arid  Duchesses.  Lord  Feversham  was  in  the  chair, 
supported  by  Gen.  Hood  (who  came,  like  several  other  members 
of  Council,  direct  from  Hanover  Square) ,  and  the  Bates  men  made 
up  a  most  imposing  array,  while  Mr.  Torr  and  Mr.  Thomas  Booth 
were  at  the  head  of  the  great  rival  house  of  *  the  red,  white  and 
roan.*  The  noble  chairman  declared  his  Kirklevington  faith  in 
such  unwavering  fashion  that  the  Booth  men  complained  he  ra- 
ther ignored  Bridecake's  share  in  the  Grand  Duchess  pedigree." 

Mr.  E.  L.  Betts  of  Preston  Hall,  Kent,  bought 
the  whole  herd  of  Grand  Duchesses,  which  were 
sold  in  "blocks  of  three."  For  the  first  trio  he 
paid  1,900  guineas;  for  the  second,  1,300  guin- 
eas; for  the  third,  1,800  guineas,  and  for  the 
fourth,  1,200  guineas;  also  securing  Imperial 
Oxford  to  accompany  them  at  450  guineas. 
The  Grand  Dukes  were  scattered;  the  Duke  of 
Devonshire  buying  Grand  Duke  10th  at  600 
guineas.  The  London  Times  said  on  the  fol- 
lowing day: 

*"•  The  splendor  of  such  an  event  almost  pales  the  strongest 
blaze  that  can  be  got  up  by  agricultural  societies.  There  is  no 
such  test  of  value,  no  such  triumph  of  enterprise  as  that  which  is 
obtained  without  shows  and  judges  and  prizes  in  the  auction-room. 
Here  is  a  p^ain  commercial  proof  of  what  can  be  done  and  how  far 
we  have  advanced  upon  our  forefathers  in  the  matter  of  kine." 

Mr.  Betts,  the  new  owner  of  the  family, 
closed  out  his  herd  at  auction  in  May,  1867. 
He  had  not  been  particularly  successful. 
Grand  Duchesses  10th,  12th  and  14th  ail  died 
from  indigestion  and  impaction  resulting  from 
the  feeding  of  un decorticated  cotton-seed  cake. 
The  7th  and  13th  were  slaughtered  and  his 
best  bull  calf  of  the  tribe  died  just  before  the 
sale.  Nevertheless  some  astonishing  prices 


386        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

were  made;  the  thirteen  head  bringing  5,615 
guineas,  an  average  of  432  guineas.  Grand 
Duchess  17th,  described  as  "a  beautiful  cow 
with  good  ribs,  mossy  coat  and  splendid  touch," 
was  carried  to  850  guineas,  at  which  figure  she 
was  taken  by  Capt.  R.  E.  Oliver  of  Sholebroke 
Lodge,  who  also  secured  the  18th  at  710  guineas. 
C.  H.  Dawson  gave  700  guineas  for  Grand  Duch- 
ess 19th;  Lord  Penrhyn  550  guineas  for  Grand 
Duchess  8th,  and  Earl  Spencer  430  guineas  for 
Grand  Duchess  20th.  The  highest  price  for  a 
bull  was  510  guineas,  paid  by  Mr.  Roberts  for 
Grand  Duke  16th  (24063);  Mr.  A.  Brogden  giv- 
ing 305  guineas  for  Grand  Duke  17th, 

Havering  Park  sale.— In  May,  1867,  Mr.  D. 
Mclntosh  of  Havering  Park,  Essex,  Eng.,  who 
had  devoted  himself  successfully  to  the  breed- 
ing of  Bates  cattle,  held  a  sale  that  attracted 
widespread  attention.  3d  Duke  of  Thorndale 
and  Grand  Duke  4th  had  been  largely  used, 
and  the  sale  included  four  descendants  of  Mr. 
Thome's  Lady  of  Oxford  4th.  Her  daughter 
Lady  of  Oxford  5th,  "  a  splendid  roan,  with  much 
substance  and  quality,"  had  been  a  winner  as  a 
calf  at  the  Worcester  Royal  in  1863  and  at  this 
sale  brought  the  top  price  of  600  guineas  from 
the  Duke  of  Devonshire.  Baron  Oxford,  a  two- 
year-old  by  the  American-bred  Duke  of  Geneva 
(19614),  was  eagerly  competed  for,  falling  to  Col. 
Townelev  at  500  guineas,  while  his  half-brother 


THE   BIRTH   OF   A    "BOOM."  387 

Baron  Oxford  2d  went  to  Mr.  Holland  at  the 
same  price. 

Sheldon  of  Geneva. —  Mr.  J.  0.  Sheldon  of 
White  Spring  Farm,  Geneva,  N,  Y.  (not  Illi- 
nois, as  certain  English  writers  persist  in  put- 
ting it),  upon  whose  shoulders  fell  the  mantle 
of  Samuel  Thome,  began  breeding  Short-horns 
by  making  the  importation  mentioned  on  page 
274.  A  few  years  later  he  bought  from  Mr. 
Thorne  the  bull  imp.  Duke  of  Gloster  (11382), 
Duchess  64th  and  her  daughter  1st  Duchess  of 
Thorndale,  together  with  Duchess  66th  and  her 
daughter  Duchess  71st.  In  1860  he  bred  from 
the  latter  the  bull  Duke  of  Geneva  (19614),  sold 
to  Mr.  Thorne  and  exported  to  England.  Shel- 
don also  secured  some  of  the  Oxford  blood  from 
Thorndale,  and  in  1860  bred  from  that  family 
the  bull  Oxford  Lad  (24713),  which  acquired 
great  reputation  in  the  herd  of  the  Hon.  David 
Christie  of  Canada.  Sheldon  also  bought  large- 
ly from  Mr.  R.  A.  Alexander,  securing  a  num- 
ber of  the  daughters  of  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie, 
among  others  the  Victoria  cow  Vara  (that  be- 
came the  flam  of  the  noted  stock  bull  Weehaw- 
ken  5260),  and  females  of  the  Mazurka,  Con- 
stance, Miss  Wiley,  Vellum,  Jubilee,  Lady  Bates, 
Roan  Duchess,  Pearlette  and  other  noted  Wood- 
burn  families.  He  also  bought  from  Mr.  Alex- 
ander the  7th  Duke  of  Airdrie  5532. 

In  1866  Samuel  Thorne  decided  to  close  out 


388        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

his  herd  and  devote  his  entire  time  to  the 
leather  trade  in  New  York  city,  the  business 
that  had  been  his  father's  chief  source  of  rev- 
enue, and  Sheldon  with  characteristic  shrewd- 
ness bought  the  entire  Thorndale  Herd  of 
Duchesses,  Oxfords,  etc.,  at  a  reported  price  of 
about  $40,000.  This  gave  him  a  monopoly  of 
the  so-called  "pure"  Duchess  blood  in  Amer- 
ica; and  as  the  English  landed  proprietors,  as 
well  as  prominent  Kentucky  breeders,  were  de- 
veloping a  marked  preference  for  Duke  and  Ox- 
ford bulls  he  now  occupied  a  strong  speculative 
position. 

Geneva  cattle  abroad,— In  the  fall  of  1867 
Mr.  Sheldon  exported  to  England  two  bulls 
and  a  heifer  of  the  Duchess  tribe,  and  six  Ox- 
ford heifers.  They  were  taken  to  the  Queen's 
farm,  Windsor  Park,  and  sold  at  auction  Oct. 
15  of  that  year.  After  inspecting  the  Ameri- 
can cattle  the  company  adjourned  for  business 
to  the  cafe  of  the  Castle  Hotel,  where  cham- 
pagne flowed  freely,  and  for  the  first  time  in  a 
long  professional  career  Mr.  Strafford,  as  auc- 
tioneer, sold  cattle  by  candlelight.  The  white 
7th  Duchess  of  Geneva  was  knocked  off  to  Mr. 
Leney  of  Kent  at  700  guineas.  In  fact  Leney 
was  the  chief  bidder,  and  his  persistency  and 
activity  added  great  zest  to  the  proceedings. 
8th  Lady  of  Oxford  and  6th  Maid  of  Oxford 
were  taken  respectively  by  Col.  Towneley  at 


THE    BIRTH   OF   A    "BOOM."  389 

450  and  400  guineas.  Leney  paid  300  guineas 
for  4th  Maid  of  Oxford,  Col.  Kingscote  250 
guineas  for  Countess  of  Oxford  and  Mr.  Down- 
ing 200  guineas  for  5th  Maid  of  Oxford.  Leney 
also  paid  260  guineas  for  7th  Maid  of  Oxford. 
The  young  bull  12th  Duke  of  Thorndale  was 
very  much  out  of  condition  and  was  bought  in 
by  Edwin  Thorn e  at  185  guineas,*  but  the  roan 
3d  Duke  of  Geneva  went  to  Mr.  Mclntosh  at 
550  guineas.  For  the  entire  lot  $1,6475  was 
obtained,  an  average  of  $1,830.  The  six  Ox- 
fords averaged  $1,550.  When  to  the  total  the 
then  existing  premium  on  gold  was  added 
Sheldon  had  nearly  $20,000  in  American  cur- 
rency, less  the  expenses  of  transportation.  In 
commenting  upon  this  result  the  London  Illus- 
trated Neivs  said:  "People  differ  in  opinion  as 
to  whether  the  American  lots  would  have  made 
most  under  the  greenwood  or  around  the  ma- 
hogany tree;  but  the  sale  was  unique  in  char- 
acter and  served  to  stamp  1867  as  an  annus 
mirabilis  in  Short-horn  history."  In  fact  this 
invasion  of  England  by  Sheldon  created  some- 
thing of  a  sensation  on  both  sides  the  water,  f 

In  1869  Mr.  E.  H.  Cheney  of  Gaddesby  Hall 
bought  from  Mr.  Sheldon  the  two-year-old 
heifer  llth  Duchess  of  Geneva,  the  yearling 

*  12th  Duke  of  Thorndale  afterward  became  the  property  of  D.  R.  Davies 
of  Mere  Old  Hall. 

t  London  Punch  took  up  the  affair  and  dror^ed  into  verse  under  the 
caption,  "The  G-olden  Short-horns." 


390        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

14th  Duchess  of  Geneva  and  the  bull  calf  9th 
Duke  of  Geneva  for  the  lump  sum  of  $12,500; 
and  at  the  same  time  the  roan  bull  calf  8th 
Duke  of  Geneva  was  exported  to  Messrs.  Har- 
ward  &  Downing  at  $4,000. 

Walcott  &  Campbell.— While  Mr.  Sheldon 
was  thus  acquiring  international  position  in 
the  Short-horn  trade  Messrs.  Walcott  &  Camp- 
bell, proprietors  of  the  extensive  New  York 
Mills  Sheeting  Factories,  on  the  Mohawk  River, 
some  two  miles  north  of  Utica,  had  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  herd  that  was  destined  to 
confound  the  agricultural  world.  The  Hon.  S 
Campbell  of  this  firm  was  a  native  of  Ayrshire, 
Scotland,  who,  from  working  at  the  loom,  be- 
came superintendent  and  eventually  partner 
in  the  great  cotton  mills  mentioned.  In  ac- 
quiring water  privileges  for  the  mills  it  had 
been  necessary  to  purchase  some  1,400  acres  of 
rich  bottom  land,  which  the  firm  desired  to 
put  to  some  profitable  use.  The  idea  of  cattle- 
breeding  suggested  itself,  and  Mr.  Campbell's 
early  instincts  inclined  him  naturally  to  the 
dairy  breed  of  his  native  county.  He  first 
turned  his  attention,  therefore,  to  Ayrshires,  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  James  Brodie,  a  Scotch- 
man who  had  also  imported,  in  connection 
with  a  Mr.  Hungerford,  a  few  Short-horns, 
among  which  were  two  cows  and  a  bull  from 
the  herd  of  J.  Mason  Hopper.  These  cattle 


THE    BIRTH   OF   A    "BOOM."  391 

had  a  double  cross  of  Belleville  (6778)  and  were 
superior  specimens.  Mr.  Campbell  bought 
Hunger  ford's  interest  and  eventually  acquired 
Brodie's. 

Kichard  Gibson  was  employed  as  manager  of 
the  farm  and  cattle,  and  speaking  of  the  trans- 
action just  mentioned  says: 

"  By  this  deal  Mr.  Campbell  became  possessed  of  Short-horns, 
for  which  he  had  no  love  at  the  time,  and  I  doubt  if  he  ever  had. 
It  was  only  the  calves  that  he  cared  for  Of  an  Ayrshire  he  was 
a  fair  judge,  and  as  they  were  a  paying  investment  in  supplying 
milk  to  the  operatives  they  were  looked  upon  with  a  great  deal 
more  favor  by  the  proprietor  than  were  their  swell  relatives  the 
Short-horns.  '  Gibson,  what  good  are  they?  They  give  no  milk; 
just  one  mass  of  blubber;  you  can't  eat  them.'  This  idea  of  a  cow 
simply  raising  a  calf  was  preposterous,  just  as  among  the  opera- 
tives every  child  must  work,  and  usually  the  mother  as  well.  So 
it  is  easy  to  understand  that  in  this  community  of  busy  workers 
no  drones  were  allowed,  and  the  Short-horn  cow  at  rest  in  the 
rich  pastures  of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  negligently  chewing  her  cud, 
was  entirely  out  of  keeping  with  the  surroundings.  Why  should 
the  patrician  English  cattle  live  in  purple  and  fine  linen?  They 
weaved  not,  neither  did  they  spin ! 

"  The  remark  quoted  came  in  response  to  my  question  as  to 
what  bull  to  breed  the  Short-horn  cows  to.  I  was  led  to  make 
this  inquiry  on  seeing  the  men  take  out  the  Ayrshire  bull  to  the 
Short-horn  cow  imp.  Rosamond.  My  ire  arose.  No  more  such 
sacrilege  was  permitted,  but  it  was  some  months  before  I  could 
persuade  Mr.  Campbell  to  allow  me  to  buy  a  bull.  I  eventually 
secured  Weehawken,  bred  by  J.  O.  Sheldon.  Upon  this  bull 
hinged  the  destiny  of  the  breed  so  far  as  the  Mills  was  concerned. 
He  proved  a  most  impressive  sire,  and  as  his  progeny  developed 
his  value  became  more  established,  and  yearly  the  treasury  of  the 
New  York  State  Agricultural  Association  was  laid  under  contri- 
bution. After  returning  from  one  of  our  successful  trips  Mr. 
Campbell  put  the  situation  in  this  way:  '  Now  I  find  your  things ' 
(he  always  called  them  '  Gibson's  things '  up  to  a  certain  time) 
'  are  giving  us  notoriety.  We  must  either  get  rid  of  them  or  go  in 
deeper.  I  don't  ask  your  opinion ;  I  know  what  that  will  be;  but 
this  I  ask,  can  we  take  as  high  a  position  with  Short-horns  as  we 


392        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

h"»ve  done  with  Ayrshires?  Remember,  I  will  play  second  to 
none.'  My  reply  was:  'You  can't  unless  you  can  persuade  Mr. 
Sheldon  to  sell  his  herd,  which  I  feel  sure  he  will  not  do.  But 
you  can  do  this:  go  on  the  opposition  tack  and  buy  Booths  and 
beat  him  in  the  ring  wherever  he  shows.'  " 

Gibson*  was  quite  familiar  with  the  extraordi- 
nary show-yard  career  of  Booth  Short-horns  in 
England  and  had  not  failed  to  notice  the  sensa- 
tion created  on  this  side  the  water  by  Mr.  Coch- 
rane's  importation  of  Baron  Booth  of  Lancas- 
ter and  Rosedale.  He  accordingly  had  a  long 
conversation  with  Mr.  Campbell,  explaining 
that  there  were  then  practically  no  Booth 
Short-horns  in  America,  and  it  was  decided 
that  Gibson  should  go  to  England  at  once  and 
make  purchases  of  cattle  of  that  blood.  This 
was  in  1869 ;  and  the  events  that  followed  may 
best  be  understood  by  a  brief  digression  at  this 
point. 

First  Hillhurst  importations. — Hon.  M.  H. 
Cochrane  of  Hillhurst  Farm,  Quebec,  Can.,  was 
prominent  among  those  enterprising  men  who 

*  Mr.  Gibson  was  born  in  England  in  1840,  almost  beneath  the  shadow 
of  Belvoir  Castle,  the  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Rutland.  Educated  at  the  gram- 
mar schools  of  Derby  and  Lincoln  he  entered  a  grain  merchant's  office  for 
a  period  of  two  years,  after  which  he  studied  closely  for  four  years  the 
farming  methods  of  his  father,  who  had  gained  various  prizes  for  the  best 
cultivated  farm  in  Derbyshire.  Speaking  of  his  early  life  Mr.  Gibson  says : 
"My  father  always  kept  a  pure-bred  bull.  The  first  I  remember  was  a  son 
of  Eavl  of  Dublin,  the  white  Princess  bull  used  by  Sir  C.  Knightley ;  and  the 
first  noted  bull  I  recollect  was  the  same  Earl  of  Dublin.  The  farm  reeked 
of  Short-horns,  as  it  was  occupied  by  Mr.  Smith,  a  purchaser  at  Ceilings' 
sale,  and  a  member  of  the  Dishley  Club.  The  old  men  talked  of  Lancaster 
and  Comet,  and  the  yarns  when  shearing  sheep,  etc.,  fell  on  ears  whose 
sensitive  organism  was  receptive  to  the  quaint  language  and  enthusiasm 
of  the  illiterate  but  observant  herdsman."  One  of  a  family  of  fourteen  chil- 
dren and  the  eldest  of  eight  sons  he  determined  upon  arriving  afcthe  age  of 


THE    BIRTH    OF   A    "BOOM.''  393 

contributed  largely  to  the  great  expansion  in 
Short-horn  trade  and  values  that  set  in  just 
prior  to  1870.  It  was  in  1867  that  he  began 
his  memorable  series  of  importations.  The  in- 
itial shipment,  selected  by  the  late  Simon  Beat- 
tie,  consisted  of  two  of  the  greatest  show-yard 
celebrities  known  to  American  Short-horn  his- 
tory, to-wit.:  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster,  al- 
ready referred  to,  and  the  wonderful  Booth 

twenty-one  to  seek  his  fortune-in  America.  He  landed  at  Quebec  in  1861  and 
for  two  years  following  worked  at  farming  in  Ontario,  after  which  he  re- 
ceived an  appointment  as  manager  for  Mr.  Delamater,  a  shipbuilder  of  New 
York,  who  owned  a  1,500-acre  farm  on  Long  Island.  After  two  years'  serv- 
ice in  this  capacity  he  was  employed  by  Mr.  Campbell  to  manage  the  farms 
at  New  York  Mills.  He  retained  this  responsible  position  until  about  one 
year  prior  to  the  great  closing-out  sale  of  the  herd,  subsequently  engaging 
in  Canada  in  the  importing  and  exporting  trade  on  his  own  account,  and 
afterward  purchasing  his  present  farm  of  Belvoir,  where,  after  a  remark- 
able experience  in  connection  with  the  international  trade  in  pedigreed 
live  stock,  he  still  resides. 

In  the  course  of  his  eventful  career  Mr.  Gibson  has  crossed  the  Atlan 
tic  more  than  tkirty  times,  usually  on  business  relating  to  the  live-stock 
trade,  and  has  enjoyed  the  acquaintance  of  a  majority  of  the  most  promi- 
nent Short-horn  breeders  of  his  time.  He  has  been  a  frequent  contributor 
to  the  agricultural  press  and  has  served  as  an  expert  judge  of  many  differ- 
ent varieties  of  live  stock  at  the  leading  shows  of  North  America,  besides 
being  President  of  the  Dominion  Short-horn  Breeders'  Association  and  of 
the  Dominion  Kennel  Club.  Like  Jorrocks  of  old  he  is  a  thorough  believer 
in  the  efficacy  of  "a  bit  o'  blood,  whether  it  be  in  a  'orse,  a  'ound'  or  any 
other  of  the  many  four-footed  or  feathered  pets  by  which  Anglo-Saxons  of 
rural  tastes  love  to  surround  themselves.  One  of  the  most  companionable 
of  men,  fond  of  a  good  dinner  and  a  good  story,  an  admirable  raconteur  him- 
self, he  is  never  so  happy  as  when  living  again  in  retrospect  the  stirring 
scenes  of  which  he  has  been  a  witness,  and-his  wealth  of  cattle  lore  is  ever 
at  the  service  of  those  who  share  his  interest  in  the  great  achievements  of 
the  rare  old  worthies  of  the  past. 

Mr.  Gibson  belongs  to  a  remarkable  family „  His  brother  John  T.  was 
manager  for  Col.  William  S.  King  when  Lyndale  was  in  its  prime,  and  was 
subsequently  manager  for  J.  J.  Hill  of  North  Oaks.  Another  brother,  Wil- 
liam, was  manager  of  the  Niagara  Herd  of  Mr.  Bronson  C.  Rumsey  of  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.  Still  another  brother,  Arthur,  is  manager  for  Mr.  Philo  L.  Mills 
of  Buddington  Hall,  Nottingham,  Eng.,  and  a  fifth  brother,  Charles,  is  his 
assistant.  A  sixth  member  of  the  family,  Edwin,  is  in  Australia,  and  Fred 
is  in  India. 


394        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

cow  Rosedale,  bred  by  Lady  Pigot.  Along 
with  Rosedale  came  her  bull  calf  Capt.  Alton 
6512.  Baron  Booth  went  into  the  West  to  win 
imperishable  renown  in  the  herd  of  Mr.  Pick- 
rell,  and  Rosedale  soon  afterward  followed; 
being  purchased  by  Col.  William  S.  King  of 
Minneapolis,  in  whose  hands  she  proved  the 
sensation  of  her  time. 

In  1868  Mr.  Cochrane  imported  eleven  head, 
four  of  which  were  of  Bates  breeding  and  the 
remainder  of  Booth  blood  from  the  herds  of 
William  Torr  and  R.  S.  Bruere.  He  resolved 
to  be  "in"  on  the  Duchess  proposition  as  well 
as  the  trade  in  show  stock  of  Booth  deriva- 
tion, and  bought  from  Col.  Gunter  of  Wetherby 
Grange,  Yorkshire,  the  yearling  heifer  Duchess 
97th  for  $5,000*— the  highest  price  up  to  that 
date  ever  paid  for  a  cow  or  heifer  of  any  breed; 
and  from  C.  W.  Harvey  of  Walton-on-the-Hill? 
Liverpool,  the  young  Bates  cow  Wild  Eyes  26th 
and  her  bull  calf.  Meantime  he  had  secured 
from  Sheldon  the  1 1th  Duke  of  Thorndale.  This 
shipment  is  notable  not  only  for  the  purchase 
of  the  Duchess  heifer  at  a  startling  price  but  as 
having  included  the  roan  bulls  Robert  Napier 
8975  and  Star  of  the  Realm  11021;  the  former 
bred  by  Mr.  Torr,  descending  from  Booth's 
Anna,  and  the  latter  bred  by  Mr.  Bruere  from  his 

*  This  was  the  first  Duchess  female  Gunter  had  parted  with  up  to  1868. 
He  had  refused  in  1865  an  offer  from  Mr.  Betts  of  1,000  guineas  for  Duchess 
84th  and  her  heifer  calf  Duchess  92d. 


THE    BIRTH   OF   A    "BOOM."  395 

Vesper  tribe.  We  have  already  alluded  to  the 
great  impression  made  by  Baron  Booth  of  Lan- 
caster upon  the  breeders  of  the  Central  West, 
and  quick  appreciation  of  the  value  of  these 
Booth  bulls  was  shown  in  another  quarter. 
William  Warfield  became  the  owner  of  Robert 
Napier*  and  A.  J.Alexander,  who  had  succeeded 
to  the  ownership  of  Woodburn  upon  the  death 
of  his  brother,  R.  A.  Alexander — which  occurred 
Dec.  1,  1867— took  Star  of  the  Realm. 

In  1869  Mr.  Cochrane  made  two  importa- 
tions, one  in  June  and  one  in  August.  These 
were  practically  all  Booth-crossed  stock,  from 
the  herds  of  such  successful  adherents  of  the 
house  of  Booth  in  Great  Britain  as  Messrs.  R. 
Chaloner  of  King's  Fort,  Ireland;  T.  E.  Pawlett 
of  Beeston.  T.  Barnes  of  Westland,  Ireland; 
Torr  of  Aylesby  and  Hugh  Aylmer  of  West 
Dereham  Abbey, Norfolk.  One  of  the  bulls,  the 
roan  Torr-bred  Gen.  Napier  8199,  was  bought 
by  Col.  William  S.  King,  the  owner  of  Rose- 
dale,  who  was  easily  the  most  daring  operator 
of  the  day  in  the  Western  States. 

The  time  seemed  ripe,  therefore,  for  New 

*Mr.  Warfield  says:  "Robert  Napier  was  a  large  bull  of  great  scale 
and  weight,  but  not  what  I  would  call  a  very  fine  bull,  neither  was  he  a 
uniform  breeder.  His  calves— Bertha  (Vol.  XV,  page  447),  Loudon  Duchess 
6th  (Vol.  XI,  page  838),  3d  Gem  of  Grasmere  (Vol.  XXI,  page  6527),  Loudon 
Duke  12th  23847,  and  Bridesmaid  (Vol.  XXII,  page  17075)— were  as  fine  ani- 
mals as  I  ever  bred.  He  received  an  injury  on  being  shipped  to  the  fairs  on 
the  railroad,  which  I  believe  was  permanent.  I  gave  him  to  a  neighbor  and 
I  think  he  finally  fell  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Dean,  Maryville,  Mo."  Another 
fine  daughter  of  this  bull,  bred  by  Mr.  Warfield,  was  Lucy  Napier,  bought 
and  ehown  by  J.  H.  Pickrell. 


396        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

York  Mills  to  follow  Gibson's  advice  and  go 
gunning  for  Sheldon  with  Booth  weapons. 

Gibson  buys  Booths  for  New  York  Mills.— 
T.  C.  Booth  of  Warlaby  was  now  at  the  cli- 
max of  his  show-yard  renown.  Commander- 
in-Chief  (21415)  and  the  marvelous  Lady  Fra- 
grant had  been  champions  of  the  breed  at  the 
Leicester  Royal  of  1868.*  While  the  Bates  men 
had  forced  prices  for  their  favorites  to  a  high 
point  Warlaby  also  had  a  powerful  following 
throughout  the  United  Kingdom,  and  nothing 
but  very  tempting  offers  would  induce  Mr. 
Booth  to  part  with  any  of  his  best  cattle  to 
come  to  America.  Mr.  Gibson  had  not  gone  so 
far,  however,  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing  in- 
ferior specimens,  and  at  the  handsome  figure 
of  $5,000  secured  the  great  roan  heifer  Bride  of 
the  Vale,  sired  by  Lord  of  the  Valley  (14837) 
out  of  the  famous  Soldier's  Bride.  He  also 
bought  the  roan  bull  calf  Royal  Briton  (27351), 
.bred  at  Warlaby  from  Lord  Blithe  (22126),  tra- 
cing through  Crown  Prince  to  Bride  Elect. 
From  the  same  noted  nursery  of  show-yard 
champions  came  the  roan  heifer  Merry  Peal, 
by  Commander-in-Chief,  and  the  white  heifer 
White  Rose,  by  Mountain  Chief.  From  R. 
Chaloner,  King's  Fort,  Ireland,  he  bought  the 

*The  last  appearance  of  the  Booths  at  the  English  Royal  was  at  Man- 
chester in  1869,  upon  which  occasion  Lady  Fragrant  was  champion  female 
and  Earl  of  Derby  (21638),  bred  and  shown  by  Wiley  of  Brandsby,  was  cham- 
pion bull. 


THE    BIRTH    OF    A    "BOOM."  397 

white  heifer  Fair  Maid  of  Hope  and  her  bull 
calf  King  of  the  Ocean.  Four  other  heifers 
were  also  selected,  included  among  them  being 
the  white  Knightley  heifer  Lady  Oxford.  Hill- 
hurst  had  already  set  the  pace.  The  price  paid 
for  Bride  of  the  Vale  ($5,000)  was  fixed  by  the 
fact  that  Gunter  had  just  obtained  that  unpre- 
cedented figure  from  Mr.  Cochrane  for  a  Duch- 
ess heifer.  The  Booths  were  quite  as  proud  of 
their  reputation  and  prestige  as  were  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  fortunes  of  Thomas  Bates,  and 
Warlaby  females  were  quite  as  difficult  to  ob- 
tain as  were  specimens  of  the  Duchess  tribe. 
It  had  been  Mr.  Booth's  settled  policy  not  to 
sell  females  to  contemporary  British  breeders 
to  be  retained  in  England.  He  had  permitted 
Mr.  Bolden  to  send  out  a  shipment  to  Austra- 
lia, and  we  believe  that  a  Christon  heifer  had 
been  sold  to  Mr.  B.  St.  John  Ackers  of  Prink- 
nash  Park,  who  was  a  distant  relative.  At  that 
time,  however,  this  tribe  had  not  been  admit- 
ted into  full  fellowship  with  the  time-honored 
Booth  Short-horn  strains.  Aside  from  these 
transactions  Bride  of  the  Vale  and  Merry  Peal 
were,  we  believe,  the  only  heifers  Mr.  Booth 
had  parted  with  for  breeding  purposes,  and 
they  were  only  sold  with  the  understanding 
that  they  were  to  be  taken  to  America. 

Tn  1870  ten  head  were  imported,  including 
the  Christon  heifers  Patricia  and  Minaret.     In 


398        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

this  lot  were  two  heifers  from  Torr's  Waterloo 
tribe  and  the  roan  Baron  Oxford's  Beauty  from 
Col.  Towneley's.  This  shipment  experienced 
cold  weather  at  sea,  but  the  day  the  cattle 
landed  in  New  York  harbor  the  thermometer 
registered  105  deg.  in  the  shade.  Poor  Patri- 
cia, for  which  $5,000  had  been  paid,  succumbed 
to  the  heat  on  shipboard  before  the  cattle 
could  be  landed.  Had  the  rest  not  been 
carefully  handled  after  unloading  other  losses 
would  doubtless  have  occurred.  Gibson  had 
them  hauled  from  the  dock  to  the  railway 
freight-yard  in  canopy-covered  "lorries,"  with 
a  big  sponge  tied  on  top  of  the  head  of  each 
animal  and  a  boy  alongside  of  each  cow  to 
apply  cold  water.  In  this  way  they  were  safe- 
ly started  for  the  farm. 

The  Mills  now  had  indeed  the  nucleus  of  a 
herd  which  might  well  set  Bates  men  thinking. 
Cochrane  and  Simon  Beattie  in  Canada  were  at 
this  time  attracting  the  attention  of  the  trade 
on  both  sides  of  the  water  by  their  extensive 
importations  of  Booth -crossed  stock,  and  it 
really  began  to  look  as  if  that  type  might  at 
last  become  a  formidable  rival  of  the  Bates 
tribes  in  the  New  World. 

Sensational  transfer  of  the  Sheldon  herd. — 
Sheldon  was  nothing  if  not  shrewd,  and  soon 
scented  danger  in  the  Booth  propaganda  with 
such  backers  in  the  East  as  Walcott  &  Camp- 


THE    BIRTH   OF   A    "BOOM."  399 

bell,  Simon  Beattie  and  M.  H.  Cochrane,  and 
such  sympathizers  in  the  West  as  the  influen- 
tial breeders  already  mentioned.  He  resolved, 
therefore,  to  make  terms  with  the  New  York 
Mills  management,  and  offered  to  sell  Mr. 
Campbell  one-half  of  the  Geneva  herd.  This 
was  in  1869.  Mr.  Gibson  advised  that  the  pur- 
chase be  jnade.  Mr.  Campbell  replied:  "But 
you  don't  know  the  price."  The  imperturbable 
Gibson  rejoined:  " Never  mind  that.  Buy" 
The  price  was  a  big  one,  and  the  herd  was  to 
be  divided  by  a  process  of  alternate  selection. 
Sheldon  secured  first  choice  in  the  "toss  up," 
and  picked  12th  Duchess  of  Geneva.  The  se- 
lection proceeded  until  Mr.  Sheldon  had,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  12th,  the  4th  Duchess  of  Geneva 
and  the  10th,  12th  and  13th  Duchesses  of 
Thorndale.  Walcott  &  Campbell  got  the  6th, 
8th  and  13th  Duchesses  of  Geneva  and  the  3d 
and  9th  Duchesses  of  Thorndale.  Of  the  Ox- 
fords Sheldon  secured  6th  Lady,  3d  Maid,  2d 
Countess  and  Gem  of  Oxford.  Gibson  took  the 
7th  and  10th  Ladys  and  2d  Maid.  The  entire 
lot  was  gone  over  in  the  same  fashion,  and 
the  4th  Duke  of  Geneva,  then  at  the  head  of 
the  herd,  was  retained  in  common.  Further- 
more, it  was  agreed  that  no  Oxford  or  Duchess 
female  was  to  be  sold  by  either  party  until  the 
other  had  the  first  option.  The  Duchesses  had 


400        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

cost  Walcott  &  Campbell  an  average  of  $5,500 
each  and  the  Oxfords  $2,800  each. 

Immediately  after  this  division  of  the  herd 
Sheldon  began  stocking  up  again  and  within  a 
year  his  stables  were  found  full  to  overflowing. 
He,  of  course,  looked  to  Walcott  &  Campbell 
to  buy  the  entire  outfit.  He  was  playing  the 
Duchess  game  for  all  there  was  in  it.  The 
New  York  Mills  people  declined  to  be  baited, 
however,  in  any  such  wholesale  manner.  They 
were  perfectly  willing  to  take  the  Duchesses 
and  Oxfords,  but  this  did  not  suit  Sheldon. 
The  facts  as  to  the  deal  which  finally  resulted 
in  their  transfer  to  Walcott  &  Campbell  in 
1870  are  set  forth  by  Mr.  Gibson  in  the  follow- 
ing language . 

"Sheldon  had  not  filled  his  barn  for  naught.  A  deadlock  en- 
sued. James  Wadsworth  was  nibbling,  Col.  King  of  Minnesota 
was  after  them  and  so  was  Cochrane  of  Canada.  A  sale  cata- 
logue was  then  circulated  and  date  arranged.  Walcott  &  Camp- 
bell's hands  were  forced  and  they  were  obliged  to  buy  in  self-de- 
fense. The  lot  was  taken,  fifty  females  and  fourteen  bulls,  at  a 
round  $100,000,  with  interest  at  6  per  cent  until  paid.  Now  Mr. 
Campbell,  though  born  an  alien,  had  confidence  in  the  Govern- 
ment's pledges  to  pay.  Mr.  Sheldon  was  a  Democrat  and  guessed 
otherwise.  Gold  was  about  160  and  the  agreement  was  that  when 
the  settlement  was  made  it  was  to  be  on  the  basis  of  gold  as 
quoted  on  the  day  of  sale.  Result :  $60,000  paid  the  original  debt 
of  $100,000.  Mr.  Campbell  could  have  paid  at  time  of  purchase 
just  as  well  as  not,  but  preferred  waiting  under  the  circum- 
stances and  therein  got  a  chance  to  'even  up'  with  Mr.  Sheldon." 

"Duke"  bulls  in  demand.— Thorne  and  Shel- 
don's European  trade  had  served  as  a  great 
advertisement  for  the  Thorndale  and  Geneva 


THE   BIRTH   OF   A    "BOOM/'  401 

stock.  The  Kentuckians,  naturally  predisposed 
to  favor  the  Duchess  proposition  by  reason  of 
their  satisfactory  experience  with  the  kindred 
Woodburn  blood,  contributed  to  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  "  boom."  Edwin  Bedford  had  bought 
2d  Duke  of  Geneva  5562,  and  during  his  brief 
career  that  bull  made  a  distinct  "hit,"  as  stated 
on  page  305.  Mr.  Bedford  then  got  the  5th 
Duke  at  $3,000.  Col.  King  of  Minnesota  se- 
cured the  6th  at  the  same  price.  In  1869  Mr. 
Alexander  took  the  10th  Duke  of  Thorndale 
(28458)  from  Sheldon  at  $5,500.  A.  W.  Gris- 
wold  of  Vermont  had  given  $3,000  for  the  14th 
Duke  of  Thorndale  (28459)  as  a  calf,  and  in  1869 
George  M.  Bedford  purchased  him  at  $6,000. 
The  8th  and  9th  Dukes  of  Geneva  had  gone  at 
$4,000  each,  and  Cochrane  had  the  llth. 

The  Bates  tribes  were  now  (1870)  firmly  held 
by  powerful  interests  on  both  sides  the  Atlan- 
tic. Walcott  &  Campbell,  after  their  prelimi- 
nary flirtation  with  the  Booths,  had  gone  into 
the  Duchess  speculation,*  and  this  gave  the 
Kirklevington  sorts  a  prestige  that  needed 
only  the  great  sale  at  New  York  Mills  to  fairly 
stampede  America  to  the  Bates  colors.  Mean- 
time the  West  was  aroused  to  action  by  the  an- 
nouncement of  a  dispersion  sale  of  the  entire 
herd  of  Mr.  McMillan  of  Ohio,  and  as  this  was 

•The  New  York  Mills  Booth  cattle  were  afterward  sold  to  M~.  Coch- 
rane, who  sent  some  of  them  back  to  England. 
26 


402        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  opening  gun  in  a  most  extraordinary  era 
of  auction  sales  in  America  the  event  will  be 
noticed  in  detail. 

The  McMillan  sale.— Mr.  Daniel  McMillan 
of  Oakland  Farm,  Xenia,  0.,  had  for  many 
years  been  breeding  Short-horns  descended 
from  the  Ohio  and  Kentucky  importations. 
He  had  been  a  frequent  exhibitor  at  the  lead- 
ing fairs  of  the  West,  and  the  herd  was  one  of 
the  best  known  in  the  United  States.  Indeed 
Mr.  McMillan  was  the  first  breeder  north  of 
the  Ohio  River  to  cross  swords  with  the  Ken- 
tuckians  in  their  own  show-yards.  This  event 
occurred  in  1869.  The  herd  was  at  that  time 
headed  by  Plantagenet  6031,  but  Mr.  War- 
field's  Muscatoon  defeated  this  bull  in  the  class 
showing:  In  the  herd  competition,  however, 
the  McMillan  cattle  prevailed.*  The  great 


•The  best  of  the  McMillan  show  herds  had  been  fitted  by  James 
Lyall,  a  Scotchman,  who  had  come  to  America  in  1856  as  an  assistant  in 
connection  with  the  ill-fated  shipment  of  Short-horns  made  that  year  via 
New  Orleans  by  Alex.  Barrett  of  Henderson,  Ky.  The  ship  experienced  a 
tempestuous  passage,  being  nearly  six  weeks  at  sea,  and  all  of  the  Short- 
horns but  two  were  lost,  included  among  those  that  perished  being  the 
famous  Douglas  show  cow  Queen  of  Trumps,  by  Belleville  (6778),  for  which 
500  guineas  had  been  paid. 

Lyall's  father  was  at  this  time  herdsman  in  the  old  country  for  Douglas 
of  Athelstaneford,  so  that  the  young  man  had  been  reared  to  the  cattle 
business.  He  remained  with  Barrett  four  years,  going  to  McMillan  in  1863. 
The  show  bull  G-en.  Grant  was  then  a  yearling.  Mr.  Lyall  fitted  the  show 
herds  for  their  most  successful  campaigns,  as  well  as  for  this  closing-out 
sale,  after  which  he  was  identified  with  the  noted  herds  of  George  Murray 
Of  Racine,  Col.  William  S.  King  and  others. 

Unfortunately  the  show  bull  Plantagenet  and  the  great  cow  Louan  13th 
had  been  lost  shortly  before  the  sale.  Plantagenet  was  a  very  massive 
bull  of  imposing  presence,  a  bull  of  more  substance  than  Gen.  Grant,  al- 
though a  bit  rough  at  the  tail-head,  and  not  so  good  in  his  Quarters. 


THE    BIRTH   OF   A   "BOOM/'  403 

prices  that  were  now  current  in  England 
and  the  East  stimulated  the  rapidly-rising  in- 
terest in  Short-horns  throughout  the  entire 
Union,  and  it  was  indeed  an  historic  gathering 
that  assembled  at  Oakland  on  the  morning  of 
the  8th  of  June,  1870.  Practically  all  of  the 
leading  breeders  and  exhibitors,  not  only  of 
the  East  but  of  the  West,  were  present.  The 
cattle  were  tied  in  line  along  a  fence  for  exam- 
ination, and  here  for  the  first  time  the  Short- 
horn breeding  fraternity  of  America  may  be 
said  to  have  actually  assembled,  all  former 
auctions  having  been  more  or  less  local  in  their 
character.  The  sale  was  held  in  a  grove  and 
no  seats  were  provided  for  the  company.  This 
did  not  detract,  however,  from  the  complete 
success  of  the  occasion,  as  the  bidding  was 
active  and  spirited  from  start  to  finish. 

Following  is  the  list  of  females  sold  for  $500 
or  over: 

Mignonette,*  red  show  cow ;  sired  by  Gen.  Grant  out  of  his 

own  dam,  Jessie-C.  C.  &  R.  H.  Parks,  Waukegan,  111.  .$3,800 

4th  Louan  of  Oakland,  yearling  heifer;  by  3d  Duke  of 

Geneva  5562— J.  C.  Jenkins,  Petersburg,  Ky 3,650 

Louan  21st, t  eight-year-old  show  cow,  bred  by  Jere  Duncan; 

sired  by  Duke  of  Airdrie  2743— Geo.  Murray,  Racine,  Wis.  3,600 

*  Mignonette,  it  will  be  observed,  was  incestuously  bred.  She  was  a 
very  fine  show  heifer  as  a  yearling  and  two-year-old,  but  grew  too  "  lumpy  " 
for  the  show-yard  and  did  no  good  as  a  breeder.  She  was  sold  by  Messrs. 
Parks  immediately  after  the  sale  to  George  Murray  at  $4,000. 

t  Louan  21st  was  the  best  of  her  family  in  the  herd  at  this  time,  although 
in  the  opinion  of  Herdsman  Lyall  not  so  good  a  cow  as  old  Jessie,  the  dam 
of  Gen.  Grant.  He  describes  Jessie  as  a  red  of  great  scale,  with  good  head, 
excellent  quarters  and  fine  quality,  altogether  the  best  cow  that  Mr.  Me 
Millan  had  ever  owned,  although  inclined  to  be  up  on  legs. 


404        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Wenona,  red  show  cow,  tracing  to  imp.  Louisa;  sired  by 

Gen.  Grant— W.  J.  Neely,  Ottawa,  111 $3,000 

Forest  Queen,  red  two-year-old;  by  Plantagenet— George 

Murray 2,800 

Louan  35th,  red  show  cow;  by  Duke  of  Airdrie  2743— E.  G. 

Bedford,  Kentucky. 2,625 

Highland  Lady,  roan  cow,  bred  by  J.  M.  Hill,  Illinois;  sired 

by  imp.  King  Alfred  (3053) ,  dam  White  Lady,  bought  by 

Mr.  McMillan  at  the  Hill  sale  already  mentioned— J.  H. 

Spears,  Tallula,  111. 2,075 

6th  Louan  of  Oakland,*  red  show  heifer;  by  Plantagenet — 

George  Murray 2,000 

Louan  23d,  roan  show  cow;  by  Lord  Derby— A.  J.  Dunlap, 

Galesburg,  111 1,750 

Louan  39th,  red  cow ;  by  Duke  of  Airdrie  2743— T.  J.  Megib- 

ben,  Cynthiana,  Ky 1,650 

Linda  Belle  2d,  red  show  heifer;  by  Plantagenet— J.  H. 

Spears 1,525 

6th  Duchess  of  Oakland,  red-and-white  three-year-old ;  by 

Plantagenet— George  Gregg,  Beech ville,  Can 1,500 

7th  Duchess  of  Oakland,  red  two-year-old ;  by  Plantagenet 

-  James  Fullington,  Union  Co.,  O 1,400 

Flora  Belle  3d,  roan  yearling— J.  H.  Spears 1,325 

Magenta,  red  heifer  calf;  by  Plantagenet,  dam  Clinton  Lady 

— J.  H.  Spears 1,105 

Oxford  Duchess,  red  cow— W.  M.  Baines,  Metamora,  Ind. . .  1,075 
Fannie  Hunt,  red  three-year-old ;  dam  Anna  Hunt,  of  Mr. 

Warfield's  breeding— A.  J.  Dunlap 1,025 

Myrtle,  roan  twelve-year-old  cow;  by  imp.  Starlight  (12146) 

—James  Fullington 1,005 

Anna  Clark,  red-and-white  cow,  bred  by  C.  M.  Clark — Mil- 
ton Briggs,  Newton,  la 950 

Eudora  2d,  red  heifer;  by  Plantagenet— B.  H.  Campbell, 

Batavia,  111 910 

Clinton  Lady,  red  nine-year-old  cow — Jesse  Hagler,  Fayette 

Co.,  O 850 

Louan  of  Oakland,  red  cow — Milton  Briggs 800 


*  Lyall,  who  had  been  consulted  by  Mr.  Murray  as  to  what  to  buy,  and 
who  afterward  entered  the  employ  of  Mr.  Murray,  tried  to  induce  him  to 
take  the  4th  Louan  instead  of  the  6th,  as  the  former  was  a  good  one  and 
Louan  6th  was  slack  in  her  loin  and  never  could  make  a  cow.  This  advice, 
however,  was  not  followed.  It  has  been  generally  believed  that  Mr.  Mur- 
ray really  bought  what  stock  he  wanted  privately,  before  the  sale,  and  iiicl 
it  passed  through  the  rinsr. 


THE    BIRTH   OF    A    k' BOOM."  405 

Louan  12th,  red  eleven-year-old  cow — R.  G.  Dun,  London,  O.  $800 

Rosa  Bonheur,  red-roan  three-year-old—James  Fullington . .  750 

Emma  2d,  red  cow— B.  H.  Campbell 730 

Anna  Eggleston,  red  cow— Thomas  Kirk,  Fayette  Co.,  O 730 

10th  Belle  Republic,  red  cow— Milton  Briggs 700 

141st  Belle  Republic,  red  cow— Milton  Briggs 700 

3d  Louan  of  Oakland,  roan  two-year-old — J.  W.  Armstrong, 

Deer  Park,  111 600 

Honey  Bud,  roan  two-year-old— B.  H.  Campbell 300 

Oxford  Queen,  heifer  calf;   by  Plantagenet— J.  W.  Arm- 
strong   560 

Vain  Lady,  red  two-year-old ;  by  Gen.  Grant— B.  H.  Camp- 
bell   . .  525 

Minna  Watson,  roan  heifer  calf — H.  B.  Sherman,  Toledo,  O.  525 

May  Day,  red-and- white  cow— B.  H.  Campbell 525 

Bride  of  Greenwood,  red-and-white,  bred  by  David  Selsor— 

George  Gregg,  Canada 525 

Emma  Palmer,  red-and-white   cow,  twelve  years  old;   by 

imp.  Warrior  (12287)— Thomas  Kirk,  Fayette  Co.,  O. ...  500 

Eudora,  roan  cow — Charles  Hook,  Xenia,  O 500 

Oneota,  cow ;  by  Duke  of  Airdrie  2743— Jesse  Hagler 500 

4th  Belle  Republic,  roan  cow— Milton  Briggs 500 

Of  the  bulls  Royal  Oakland,  a  red  two-year- 
old  by  Plantagenet  out  of  Mignonette,  brought 
the  highest  price,  $1,300,  from  James  Fulling- 
ton. This  bull  had  been  winner  of  first  prize 
at  the  Ohio  State  Fair  of  1868,  and  stood  at  the 
head  of  the  breeders'  herd  at  the  same  show  in 
1869.  He  was  resold  the  next  day  for  $2,000. 
The  rest  of  the  bulls  ranged  in  price  from  $75 
for  old  Oxford  Lad  up  to  $825  for  Royal  Lad— 
a  yearling  by  Plantagenet.  The  entire  herd 
brought  $63,980,  an  average  of  $864.60.  Twen- 
ty-four head  went  to  Illinois  at  $23,625,  twen- 
ty-five head  to  Ohio  at  $13,265,  six  head  to  Iowa 
at  $4,350,  six  head  to  Kentucky  at  $11,090  and 
three  to  Wisconsin  at  $8,400. 


406        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Col.  William  S.  King. — One  of  the  most  in- 
terested spectators  at  the  McMillan  sale  was 
Col.  William  S.  King  of  Minneapolis,  Minn., 
who  was  one  of  the  first  to  introduce  Short- 
horns into  the  Northwest  and  whose  lavish  in- 
vestments in  show  and  breeding  stock  contrib- 
uted so  largely  to  the  development  of  a  taste 
for  Short-horn  breeding  in  the  Western  States. 
The  controlling  motive  in  the  establishment  of 
his  Lyndale  Herd  was  the  improvement  of  the 
cattle  stocks  of  the  Northwest.  Short-horns 
were  but  little  known  in  Minnesota  even  while 
Brown,  Pickrell,  Duncan,  McMillan,  Spears  and 
their  contemporaries  were  fighting  their  earlier 
show-yard  battles  in  Illinois.  Col.  King  was 
himself  without  special  knowledge  of  them  at 
that  time,  and  indeed  began  his  work  by  an 
unavailing  effort  to  introduce  Ayrshires  among 
the  farmers  of  the  Northwest.  Reared  in  the 
stock-growing  and  dairy  region  of  Northern 
Central  New  York  his  thoughts  naturally  re- 
verted first  to  the  herds  of  the  Empire  State 
and  he  has  given  us  an  amusing  account  of 
how  his  attention  became  first  diverted  from 
the  Ayrshires  to  the  Short- horns  and  as  to  how 
his  first  purchase  was  received  upon  arrival  at 
St.  Paul  in  1867.  In  the  autumn  of  that  year 
he  visited  the  J.  0.  Sheldon  herd  at  Geneva, 
N.  Y.,  and  was  captivated  by  it.  One  of  the 
Duchesses  had  just  dropped  a  bull  calf— the 


THE   BIRTH   OF    A    "BOOM."  407 

5th  Duke  of  Geneva — which  he  contracted  for 
at  $3,000;  but  before  the  youngster  was 
shipped  Sheldon  arranged  for  an  exchange  of 
the  5th  Duke  to  Edwin  G.  Bedford  of  Ken- 
tucky for  the  6th  Duke  of  Geneva.*  In  1869 
Col.  King  added  by  purchase  from  the  Sheldon 
herd  a  Bloom,  two  G Wynnes,  a  Mazurka,  and 
several  other  females,  including  Constance  6th, 

*"I  took  occasion  on  one  of  my  frequent  trips  east  to  visit  the  New 
York  Mills  Herd  of  Ayrshires,  which  was  then  reputed  to  be  the  finest  of 
the  kind  in  the  United  States.  It  was  on  that  occasion  that  I  first  met  both 
Mr.  Campbell  and  Richard  Gibson  and  formed  an  acquaintance  with  the  lat 
ter  which  led  to  many  later  business  transactions  between  us  and  a  friend- 
ship which  still  exists  and  has  been  to  me  a  source  of  much  pleasure.  But 
to  my  story.  Telling  Mr.  Campbell  the  purpose  of  my  visit  the  old  gentle- 
man left  his  business  office  and  walked  with  me  to  the  barn,  where,  calling 
for  Gibson,  he  ordered  out  for  review  his  Scottish  pets,  which  Gibson 
began  to  assemble  from  the  various  small  lots  adjoining  the  barns  and 
yards.  While  standing  on  the  platform  of  the  barn  looking  at  the  Ayr- 
shires  there  was  a  great  crash  near  by,  and  looking  in  that  direction  I  saw 
a  young  Short-horn  bull  about  eighteen  months  old  which  had  dashed 
through  a  partly  opened  gate  to  an  adjoining  yard  and  with  head  and  tail 
erect  stood  before  us  a  living  picture  of  animal  beauty.  'What's  that? '  said 
I  to  Mr.  Campbell.  'Oh,  that's  one  of  Gibson's  things,  a  Short-horn,  but  I 
don't  think  much  of  them,'  was  the  reply.  But  a  friend  who  had  accom 
panied  me  to  inspect  the  herd  turned  to  me  and  said:  'Colonel,  that's  the 
kind  of  stock  you  want  for  the  West.  Your  Western  people  will  never  be 
satisfied  with  these  Ayrshire  cattle.'  Mr.  Campbell  was  evidently  nettled 
at  this  remark  and  replied:  'Then  the  people  of  the  West  don't  know  what 
is  best  for  them.'  Truth  compels  me  to  say  that  I  was  a  little  nettled  my- 
self. It  was  Ayrshires  that  I  'went  out  to  see ';  Ayrshires  that  I  had  fully 
decided  were  to  be  my  instruments  in  the  work  of  stock  and  dairy  reform 
in  Minnesota,  and  the  result  was  that  before  leaving  the  barn  I  had  picked 
out  a  small  number  of  young  Ayrshire  heifers  and  a  yearling  bull  and  ar- 
ranged for  their  shipment.  Before  I  left,  however,  Gibson  found  an  oppor- 
tunity to  whisper  in  my  ear:  'You  will  make  no  mistake  if  you  take  the 
advice  of  your  friend  and  take  along  a  few  Short-horns.'  So  just  as  we 
were  about  leaving  I  turned  to  Mr.  Campbell  and  asked:  'What  will  you 
price  me  that  young  bull  for? '  'Oh,  if  you  want  him  you  may  have  him  for 
$100,'  was  the  reply.  'Why,  Mr.  Campbell,'  spoke  up  Gibson  quickly,  'Mr 
Sheldon  would  never  sell  such  a  bull  as  that  for  a  cent  less  than  $400  '  'No 
matter,  said  Mr.  Campbell,  'if  Mr.  King  wants  him  for  $100  he  can  have 
him.'  '  Take  him,'  said  my  friend  decidedly;  '  he  will  be  worth  more  to  you 
than  all  the  Ayrshires  on  this  farm.'  I  took  the  bull,  and  with  him  two  or 
three  young  heifers  of  the  same  strain  of  blood,  all,  I  think,  by  Weehawken 


408        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

which  latter  proved  to  be  the  most  profitable 
cow  ever  owned  at  Lyndale.  Such  was  the 
foundation.  These  Sheldon  cattle  were  shown 
at  the  Minnesota  State  Fair  of  1869  and  at- 
tracted much  favorable  notice  although  not  in 
high  condition.  Meantime  the  proprietor  had 
been  a  visitor  at  some  of  the  important  shows 
elsewhere,  and  realizing  that  his  stock  could 
not  hope  to  cope  successfully  with  the  great 
show  herds  of  Illinois,  Ohio  and  Kentucky  he 
determined  to  bring  all  the  resources  of  large 

from  dams  of  the  Rosamond,  or  Mason  blood.  And  thus  began  my  Short- 
horn purchases.  Whether  Gibson  put  up  a  job  to  have  that  Short-horn  bull 
appear  on  the  stage  at  that  particular  moment  I  do  not  venture  to  assert, 
but  that  his  appearance  at  that  time  had  much  to  do  in  shaping  my  future 
course  as  a  breeder  is  a  solid  fact. 

"When  advised  by  telegraph  that  the  boat  on  which  the  stock  was 
shipped  frdm  La  Crosse  would  reach  St.  Paul  at  a  given  hour  I  was  on 
hand  to  receive  them.  When  the  passengers  had  disembarked  the  cattle 
were  led  off,  the  Ayrshires  first  being  unloaded.  Among  the  crowd  of 
levee  loungers  who  were '  watching  out '  to  see  what  was  going  on  was  one 
tall,  lank,  uncouth-looking  chap  who  eyed  my  little  Ayrshires  with  great 
apparent  curiosity,  and  finally  addressing  me  he  broke  out:  '  I  say,  Mister, 
what  do  you  call  them  are  critters  there?'  'Young  Ayrshires,' was  the 
short  reply.  'Young  wharf  rats,'  he  rejoined,  and  added:  'I  say,  Mister, 
you'll  have  to  look  out  or  them  little  critters  will  crawl  through  the  cracks 
of  your  barn  floor  and  you'll  lose  'em.'  Too  indignant  to  reply  to  this  gross 
insult  put  upon  my  beautiful  young  Ayrshires  I  turned  away  from  the  fel- 
low just  as  the  young  Short-horn  bull  was  being  led  off  the  boat,  when  my 
tormentor,  espying  him,  broke  out  again:  'I  say,  Mister,  there  comes  a 
critter  something  like  what  a  critter  should  be.  I  know  that  kind  myself.' 
'  What  kind  of  a  critter  do  you  call  that? '  some  one  standing  by  inquired, 
'Why,'  said  this  expert  judge  of  live  stock,  'that's  a  Devon.  I've  seen 
hundreds  of  them  cattle  down  in  Maine  'fore  I  ever  came  West.'  Offended 
pride  and  patience  could  stand  no  more,  and  sharply  turning  upon  this 
critic  I  said  to  him:  '  Young  man,  that  bull  don't  come  anywhere  as  near 
being  a  Devon  as  you  do  to  being  a  natural-born  jackass.'  The  fellow 
turned  a  half-pitying,  half-offended  look  upon  me  as  though  debating  in  his 
own  mind  whether  I  was  really  as  big  a  fool  as  he  evidently  rated  me,  or 
whether  it  was  his  duty  to  resent  in  some  effective  way  my  ill  manners  in 
thus  characterizing  his  pedigree,  but  finally  strolled  off  into  the  crowd 
while  I  headed  my  young  bovine  pilgrims  for  Minneapolis,  where  I  soon 
had  them  safely  and  comfortably  housed  in  their  humble  quarters," 


THE   BIRTH   OF   A    "BOOM."  409 

means  to  bear  upon  the  acquisition  of  animals 
of  such  character  as  would  enable  him  to 
break  a  lance  with  the  leading  showmen  of 
the  day.  He  had  heard  of  Baron  Booth  of 
Lancaster  and  of  Rosedale,  and  following  Mr. 
Pickrell's  example  visited  Mr.  Cochrane's. 

The  Lyndale  show  herd. — At  Hillhurst  he 
saw  and  bought  the  great  Rosedale,  imp.  Queen 
of  Diamonds  and  Maid  of  Atha,  of  William 
Miller's  breeding.  This  was  a  grand  founda- 
tion for  a  show  herd,  but  no  bull  of  the  requi- 
site character  could  be  found,  and  a  two-year- 
old  heifer  and  yearling  were  also  needed.  The 
Colonel's  ambition  was  now  thoroughly  aroused, 
and  with  characteristic  enterprise  and  liberal- 
ity he  gave  Mr.  Cochrane  and  Simon  Beattie 
carte  blanche  to  select  and  bring  out  from  Great 
Britain  the  best  animals  money  could  buy  in 
the  United  Kingdom  to  fill  out  the  herd.  About 
this  same  time  Mr.  John  Gibson  (brother  to 
Richard,  then  at  New  York  Mills)  was  engaged 
to  take  general  charge  of  the  Lyndale  Herd. 
The  McMillan  dispersion  occurred  while  Col. 
King's  agents  were  looking  for  show  cattle 
abroad.  This  was  the  first  auction  sale  of  cat- 
tle he  had  ever  attended,  and  like  all  others 
who  were  present  upon  that  occasion  he  was 
fairly  carried  away  by  the  excitement  and  en- 
thusiasm of  the  day.  It  was  here  that  he  met 
Lyall,  McMillan's  herdsman,  and  engaged  him 


410        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

to  undertake  the  detailed  training  of  the  show 
herd  then  in  progress  of  formation. 

Beattie  arrived  Aug.  2,  1870,  .with  the  im- 
ported cattle.  He  had  brought  out  forty  head 
altogether,  including  the  bulls  Scotsman  10951 
and  Old  Sain  10551,  both  two  years  old,  and  a 
pair  of  roan  two-year-old  show  heifers — Booth's 
Lancaster  and  Countess  of  Yarborough — for 
Col.  King's  examination.  The  bulls  were  both 
good ;  in  fact  so  evenly  balanced  that  it  seemed 
impossible  to  make  choice  between  them.  Af- 
ter extended  deliberation,  however,  in  which 
Messrs.  Beattie,  Cochrane,  King  and  Gibson  all 
participated,  they  decided  to  make  their  stand 
with  Scotsman.  He  was  a  roan,  bred  by  the 
Duke  of  Buccleuch  and  sired  by  Royal  Errant 
22780  (the  sire  of  the  dam  of  the  afterward  cele- 
brated imp.  Duke  of  Richmond)  out  of  Comet 
by  Lord  Stanley  (18275).  Even  more  difficulty 
was  experienced  in  trying  to  choose  between 
the  two  heifers.  They  were  both  grand  thick- 
fleshed  specimens  and  in  beautiful  bloom. 
Booth's  Lancaster  was  a  great  "chunk" — full 
sister  in  blood  to  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster — 
being  by  same  sire  out  of  one  of  the  celebrated 
triplet  daughters  of  Lord  Raglan  from  the  cow 
Lancaster  25th,  bred  by  Mr.  Cruickshank.  The 
Countess  was  bred  by  Dudding  from  Baron 
Rosedale  (21239),  a  bull  out  of  the  dam  of  Rose- 
dale.  The  Lyndale  people  were  afraid  that  if 


THE    BIRTH    OF    A    "BOOM."  411 

they  left  either  of  these. at  Hillhurst  there 
would  be  grave  danger  of  meeting  the  other 
later  on  in  hostile  hands  at  the  Western  shows. 
There  was  but  one  safe  thing  to  do ;  buy  them 
both.  No  yearling  had  been  bought,  but  hear- 
ing of  Rosedale's  last  calf,  Rosedale  Duchess, 
her  purchase  was  decided  upori  without  the 
formality  of  an  examination ;  the  price  being 
$5,500.  She  proved  a  disappointment.  In  Col. 
King's  expressive  language,  "  richly  worth 
about  5  per  cent  of  the  price  paid." 

En  route  to  Minnesota  Scotsman  developed  a 
case  of  foot-and-mouth  disease,  which  necessi- 
tated his  being  quarantined  at  Lyndale,  and  in 
spite  of  the  most  careful  treatment  he  was  in 
no  condition  to  head  the  herd  as  the  fall  shows 
drewT  near.  The  Illinois  State  Fair  was  being 
held  the  week  before  "the  Great  St.  Louis' 
Show,  which  was  in  those  days  the  "Royal"  of 
America,  and  after  loading  the  cattle  (and 
some  imported  Cotswold  sheep)  on  board  a 
river  steamer  at  St.  Paul  for  St.  Louis  Gibson 
was  started  post  haste  for  Decatur,  with  in- 
structions to  buy  a  show  bull,  if  there  was  one 
on  the  Illinois  State  Fair  Grounds,  at  any  cost. 
On  Saturday  before  the  opening  the  Lyndale 
cattle  were  in  their  stalls  at  St.  Louis,  minus  a 
bull,  but  that  same  day  Gibson  wired  that  he 
was  starting  with  Scotsman's  ocean  companion 
Old  Sam.  Mr.  Cochrane  had  not  sold  the  bull 


412        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

during  the  summer,  and  had  shipped  him  out 
to  the  Illinois  State  Fair  in  the  expectation  of 
finding  a  purchaser.  James  N.  Brown's  Sons 
had  Tycoon  7339  at  Decatur  that  year  as  a 
three-year-old,  and  Mr.  Gibson  offered  $2,500 
for  him  without  effecting  his  purchase.  As 
this  was  one  of  the  most  noted  of  the  home- 
bred show  bulls  of  that  time  a  brief  statement 
concerning  him  will  be  of  interest  at  this  point. 
Tycoon  7339. — This  noted  roan  must  be  cred- 
ited primarily  to  Kentucky,  as  he  was  sired  by 
Mr.  Warfield's  famous  Muscatoon  7057  out  of 
Nannie  by  Derby  4689,  he  a  son  of  Renick  903; 
second  dam  Maria  Hunt  by  imp.  Young  Chilton, 
tracing  in  the  maternal  line  to  imp.  Illustrious 
by  Emperor  (1974).  He  was  dropped  on  Capt. 
James  N.  Brown's  farm  in  Sangamon  County 
March  27,  1867.  While  his  sire  and  dam  were 
both  bred  at  Grasmere  the  credit  for  his  devel- 
opment into  one  of  the  most  noted  show  bulls 
of  his  day  rests  with  Capt.  Brown  and  his  sons, 
who  had  by  this  time  become  associated  with 
their  father  in  the  management  of  the  herd  at 
Grove  Park.*  At  three  years  of  age  he  attained 
a  weight  of  2,360  Ibs.  His  head  was  neat,  horns 
slightly  drooping,  and  of  masculine  character. 
He  was  well  filled  behind  the  shoulders,  good 
at  the  chine;  level  in  his  top  and  bottom  lines; 

*  Capt.  James  N.  Brown  died  Nov.  16, 1868.    His  sons  still  carry  on  the 
farm,  although  doing  little  now  in  pedigreed  cattle. 


THE   BIRTH    OF    A    "BOOM."  413 

square  and  well  finished  about  the  rumps,  with 
thighs  carried  well  down  to  straight  and  well- 
filled  legs.  He  was  rated  by  good  judges  as 
one  of  the  best  bulls  of  his  time  in  the  West, 
and  his  victories  in  the  show-yard  at  the  Illi- 
nois State  Fair,  at  St.  Louis  and  other  lead- 
ing exhibitions  gained  for  him  much  reputa- 
tion. 

Tycoon  was  a  uniformly  good  breeder  and 
many  of  his  heifers  were  fitted  for  show  with 
great  success.  Prominent  among  his  get  may 
be  mentioned  the  $1,000  show  heifer  Maud 
Muller,  Illustrious  5th  and  the  famous  Young 
Marys,  Grace  Youngs  4th,  5th  and  6th.  He 
was  sold  at  auction  in  1871  to  Mr.  S.  C.  Duncan 
of  Missouri  and  died  in  1873.  His  sister,  Illus- 
trious 3d,  was  also  a  great  winner  in  the  herd 
of  Messrs.  Brown. 

King's  victory  at  St.  Louis. — When  the 
great  St.  Louis  show  of  1870  opened  its  gates 
Old  Sam  was  found  at  the  head  of  the  Lyndale 
Herd.  He  was  a  red,  bred  by  R.  H.  Crabb  of 
Chelmsford,  Essex,  Eng.,  and  was  got  by  the 
Bell-Bates  Duchess  Nancy  bull  Duke  of  Graf- 
ton  (21594),  a  son  of  exported  Duke  of  Geneva 
(11)614),  and  similar  in  his  breeding  to  the  cele- 
brated Grand  Duke  of  Oxford  (28763),  sire  of 
Rev.  B.  B.  Kennard's  great  English-bred  prize 
cow  Queen  Mary.  Old  Sam's  dam  was  the 
mixed-bred  cow  Roma,  by  Baron  Roxwel] 


414        A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

(21240).  He  gained  first  prize  in  the  aged  bull 
class  over  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster,  but  the 
latter  was  awarded  by  another  committee  the 
male  championship  of  the  class.  Rosedale*  was 
an  easy  winner  among  the  aged  cows;  Queen 
of  Diamonds  carried  the  three-year-old  ribbon, 
Booth's  Lancaster  the  first  for  two-year-old 
heifer  and  Countess  of  Yarborough  second.  In 
yearlings  the  $5,500  Rosedale's  Duchess  was  not 
noticed,  but  in  heifer  calves  the  sweet-faced, 
heavy-coated  Constance  of  Lyndale,  by  5th  Duke 
of  Geneva,  headed  the  list.f  The  herd  prize  fell 
to  Lyndale  after  one  of  the  most  exciting  con- 
tests ever  known  in  American  show-yards 
Illinois,  Missouri  and  Kentucky  were  defeated, 
but  Great  Britain  and  Canada  had  been  ran- 

*John  Gibson  describes  Rosedale  as  follows:  "Rosedale  was  one  of 
the  best  cows  I  ever  saw.  She  was  laid  out  on  a  much  larger  scale  than 
the  cows  now  shown.  She  had  an  ex  traordinary  front  that  was  well  car- 
ried back  to  her  hips.  She  was  long-,  wide  and  deep,  with  great  thickness 
of  flesh,  evenly  laid.  She  was  just  a  little  plain  from  her  hips  back,  which 
was  about  her  only  fault.  With  all  her  size  and  wealth  of  flesh  she  had  no 
coarseness  or  roughness,  showing  a  fine  feminine  head,  well  carried. 
Queen  of  Diamonds  tied  her  for  sweepstakes  at  St.  Louis,  but  the  old  cow 
rightly  got  it.  One  of  the  best  things  we  showed  at  St.  Louis  in  18TO  was  the 
Constance  heifer.  One  gentleman  who  saw  her  before  the  show  remarked 
what  a  good  one  she  was  and  said:  'You  have  trained  wrong ;  kept  too 
much  hair  on.  That  is  all  right  for  the  Royal,  but  will  not  do  for  the 
States.  I  replied  that  I  never  saw  a  Short-horn  with  too  much  hair  of  the 
righ  quality,  and  the  St.  Louis  judges  seemed  to  think  the  same." 

t  Constance  was  shown  here  in  the  wrong  class,  as  was  afterward 
acknowledged.  There  was  always  considerable  contention  between 
Edwin  Bedford  and  George  Bedford.  Mr.  Edwin  Bedford  had  bought  the 
5th  Duke  of  Geneva,  and  when  this  heifer  made  the  rounds,  really  a  year- 
ling and  shown  as  a  calf,  she  was  awarded  great  honors  and,  of  course, 
Edwin  was  very  proud  of  her.  Mr.  George  Bedford  said  he  need  not  be, 
because  she  could  not  be  a  daughter  of  5th  Duke  of  Geneva,  as  she  was  too 
young.  Then,  of  course,  Col.  King  either  had  to  deny  her  sire  or  acknowl- 
edge-as, upon  investigation,  he  subsequently  did— that  she  was  shown  in 
the  wrong  ring. 


THE    BIRTH    OF    A    "BOOM."  415 

sacked  with  a  blank  check-book  to  do  the 
trick. 

History  tells  of  the  "Field  of  the  Cloth  of 
Gold,"  where  the  kings  of  France  and  England 
met  in  the  midst  of  such  luxurious  surround- 
ings as  to  make  the  conference  memorable 
mainly  for  its  extravagant  splendor.  The  tent 
which  flew  the  flag  of  Lyndale  and  from 
whence  Col.  King  dispensed  hospitality  to  the 
fraternity  of  Short-horn  breeders  at  this  show 
was  not  carpeted  with  gold  exactly,  but  it 
lacked  little  that  money  could  supply  that 
would  minister  to  the  tastes  or  appetites  of  the 
most  fastidious  among  the  congenial  spirits 
congregated  to  do  honor  to  that  princely  enter- 
tainer upon  this  gala  occasion.  It  was  a  fa- 
mous victory ;  a  magnificent  herd  and  a  royal 
celebration ;  an  event  which  will  be  recalled 
as  long  as  show-yard  battles  retain  their  inter- 
est as  probably  the  most  remarkable  event,  in 
some  of  its  features  at  least,  in  the  annals  of 
cattle  competitions  in  America. 

W.  R.  Duncan's  sale.— The  McMillan  sale, 
it  is  needless  to  say,  gave  a  great  impetus  to 
Short-horn  breeding  in  the  West,  and  trade  at 
once  grew  active,  both  at  public  sale  and  pri- 
vate treaty,  at  high  prices.  At  an  auction 
held  by  W.  R.  Duncan  at  Towanda,  111.,  Aug. 
24,  1870,  the  show  bull  Minister  6363  was  sold 
to  Andrew  Wilson  of  Topeka,  Kan.,  at  $1,760. 


416         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Oxford  Wiley  8753  fetched  $705  and  several 
other  bulls  brought  from  $400  to  $500  each, 
The  seven-year-old  Young  Mary  cow  Red  Rose 
3d,  a  red-roan  of  Ben  F.  Van  Meter's  breeding, 
went  to  George  Otley  of  Neponset,  111.,  at 
$1,500.  The  red  cow  Gem  3d,  also  of  Van 
Meter's  breeding,  fetched  $1,150,  going  to  Ed 
lies,  Springfield,  111.  The  cow  Oxford  Belle, 
bred  at  Woodburn,  made  $1,000  to  Robert 
Otley,  Neponset,  111.  Others  were  sold  at  from 
$400  to  $750. 

The  beginning  of  live-stock  journalism. 
— It  may  be  of  interest  at  this  point  to  note 
that  from  the  month  of  May,  1869,  may  be 
dated  the  beginning  of  live-stock  journalism 
as  a  special  feature  of  agricultural  newspaper 
work.  Upon  that  date  Mr.  J.  H.  Sanders, 
founder  of  the  Breeder's  Gazette,  began  the 
publication  of  a  sixteen-page  monthly  called 
the  Western  Stock  Journal,  issued  at  Sigourney, 
la.,  the  initial  number  presenting  a  portrait  of 
Mr.  McMillan's  celebrated  Louan  21st.  Mr. 
Sanders  was  at  that  time  interested  in  stock- 
breeding  himself,  and  feeling  the  need  person- 
ally of  information  bearing  upon  the  business 
took  advantage  of  his  ownership  of  a  small 
country  printing-office  to  undertake  on  his 
own  account  the  first  venture  of  this  kind  of 
which  we  have  record.  The  publication  ac- 
quired immediate  popularity  and  its  success 


THE    BIRTH    OF    A    ';BOOM.'?  417 

attracted  the  attention  of  Mr.  George  W.  Rust, 
at  that  date  engaged  in  newspaper  work  upon 
the  Chicago  Times,  who  in  connection  with  the 
Hon.  John  P.  Reynolds  established  at  Chicago 
in  September,  1871,  a  more  pretentious  maga- 
zine, which  was  christened  the  National  Live- 
stock Journal.  The  immediate  object  of  Mr. 
Sanders  having  thus  been  accomplished  he 
accepted  a  proposition  for  the  consolidation 
of  his  own  paper  with  that  of  Mr.  Rust,  as- 
suming at  the  same  time  a  position  as  associ- 
ate editor  of  the  Chicago  periodical. 

Mr.  Rust  was  a  ready  and  forcible  writer, 
and  at  once  made  a  special  study  of  the  Short- 
horn trade.  His  paper  soon  attained  National 
circulation  and  influence  and  afforded  stock- 
breeders in  general  and  the  Short-horn  frater- 
nity in  particular  a  needed  medium  of  commu- 
nication.- The  National  Live -Stock  Journal, 
with  which  Messrs.  Charles  P.  Willard  and 
William  Hallowell  also  became  identified,  was 
soon  recognized  as  a  powerful  influence  in  the 
development  of  the  American  interest  in  pedi- 
greed-stock breeding.*  In  the  course  of  time 
the  Journal  gave  way  to  the  weekly  Breeder's 
Gazette,  which  was  established  in  1881. 

*  The  author  may  perhaps  be  pardoned  for  stating1  that  It  was  in  tha 
work  of  compiling  Short-horn  catalogues  in  the  office  of  the  monthly  maga- 
zine mentioned  that  he  acquired,  some  twenty  years  ago,  his  first  acquain- 
tance with  the  intricacies  of  the  Short-horn  Herd  Books  of  Great  Britain 
and  America. 
27 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


AN   EKA  OF   EXPANSION. 

Important  events  now  followed  thick  and 
fast.  Hundreds  of  herds  were  in  process  of 
formation  all  the  way  from  New  England  to 
the  Pacific  Coast.  The  fame  of  the  Short-horn 
had  become  co-extensive  with  North  American 
agriculture  and  the  demand  greater  than  at 
any  previous  "period.  To  mention,  therefore, 
in  detail  all  those  who  took  a  prominent  part 
in  this  broad  expansion  of  Short-horn  interests 
would  be  to  transcribe  to  these  pages  volumes 
of  facts  and  pedigrees  that  may  best  be  gath- 
ered from  the  herd-book  records  of  the  period. 
We  can  therefore  touch  only  upon  matters 
that  fairly  possessed  National  or  international 
interest. 

Hillhurst  and  Lyndale  operations.— Three 
importations  were  made  to  Hillhurst  in  1870, 
aggregating  some  sixty-five  head  of  cattle 
representing  the  leading  Bates  and  Booth 
strains.  In  the  first  lot  were  the  show  cattle 
sold  to  Col.  King,  as  already  mentioned. 
Along  with  these  Mr.  Cochrane  brought  out 
from  Col.  Gunter's  Duchesses  101st  and  103d— 

(418) 


AN    ERA   OF    EXPANSION.  419 

at  the  extraordinary  price  of  $5,000  and  $7,500 
respectively — both  sired  by  exp.  4th  Duke  of 
Thorndale,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  these 
Duchesses  dropped  heifer  calves  by  8th  Duke 
of  York  (28480).  In  this  same  shipment  was 
the  roan  show  cow  Jessie  Hopewell,  of  Ayl- 
mer's  breeding,  that  was  sold  to  Ed  lies  of 
Springfield,  111.  In  the  second  shipment  were 
several  heifers  from  Warlaby  and  Killerby  and 
three  Booth  bulls,  one  of  which,  Royal  Richard 
15415,  was  sold  to  A.  Van  Meter  of  Kentucky. 
Mr.  Cochrane  continued  his  operations  in  1871, 
bringing  over  a  large  number  of  well-bred  and 
individually  excellent  animals,  including  the 
roan  heifer  Royal  Duchess  2d,  sold  to  Mr.  lies; 
the  red  Portulacca,  that  became  the  property  of 
C.  E.  Coffin  of  Muirkirk,  Md.;  the  red  bull  The 
Doctor  13021  and  Cherub  11505,  both  subse- 
quently famous  in  the  West;  the  roan  Bread- 
albane  11429,  of  Torr's  breeding,  sold  to  8.  R. 
Streator  of  Cleveland,  0.,  etc. 

Richard  Gibson  selected  for  importation  by 
Col.  King  in  1871  a  lot  that  included  such 
noted  animals  as  Baron  Hubback  2d  13199,  of 
Col.  Towneley's  breeding;  Countess  of  Oxford, 
from  Messrs.  Hosken  of  Cornwall;  Lady 
Brough,  largely  of  Booth  blood,  etc.  Mean- 
time Mr.  Cochrane  had  sold  Duchess  97th 
to  Col.  King  at  the  enormous  price  of  $12,000, 
but  shrewdly  foreseeing  the  result  of  the 


420        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE, 

manipulations  going  on  at  New  York  Mills 
the  proprietor  of  Hillhurst  repurchased  this 
heifer,  and  along  with  her  the  6th  Duke  of 
Geneva. 

Exportations  to  England. — In  April,  1871, 
Mr.  Cochrane  sold  through  Mr.  Thornton  to 
Col.  Kingscote  for  $4,000  the.  red  yearling 
bull  Duke  of  Hillhurst  9862,  by  14th  Duke  of 
Thorndale  out  of  Duchess  97th,  that  afterward 
sired  the  highest-priced  bull  of  any  breed  ever 
sold  in  the  world,  to-wit. :  Duke  of  Connaught 
(33604),  for  which  Lord  Fitzhardinge  gave 
$22,500.  .Along  with  Duke  of  Hillhurst  Mr. 
Cochrane  shipped  the  roan  heifer  llth  Lady  of 
Oxford  to  the  Earl  of  Dunmore,  Stirling,  Scot- 
land, at  $3,750.^ 

In  October,  1871,  Walcott  &  Campbell  shipped 
three  Oxford  heifers,  the  9th  Maid  and  10th  and 
13th  Ladys  of  Oxford,  together  with  the  year- 
ling Oxford  bull  5th  Lord  Oxford  10382  and  the 
1st  Duke  of  Oneida  9925,  all  sold  to  E,  H. 
Cheney.  For  the  1st  Duke  $4,250  was  received. 
He  was  afterward  resold  to  Lord  Skelmersdale. 
The  9th  Maid  of  Oxford  was  a  particularly  val- 
uable heifer,  having  been  successfully  exhibited 
before  exportation  at  the  New  York  State  Fair. 
Unfortunately  she  died  soon  after  landing 
abroad. 

In  November,  1871,  Mr.  Cochrane  made  an- 
other sale  to  Dunmore,  consisting  of  the  white 


AN    ERA    OF    EXPANSION.  421 

Duchess  107th  and  the  roan  Duchess  108th,  the 
8th  Maid  of  Oxford,  Marchioness  of  Oxford,  and 
four  Kentucky-bred  Rose  of  Sharons.  For  the 
Duchess  heifers  the  enormous  price  of  $12,500 
was  paid.  The  two  Rose  of  Sharon  cows  Red 
Rose,  of  Mr.  Renick's  breeding,  by  Airdrie 
2478,  and  Red  Rose  2d,  of  William  Warfield's 
breeding,  by  Duke  Frederick,  were  taken,  to- 
gether with  their  heifer  calves,  at  $2,500. 

Clark  Co.  (Ky.)  Importing  Co. — The  import- 
ing trade  into  Kentucky,  which  had  languished 
for  many  years,  was  now  revived.  An  organi- 
zation made  up  mainly  of  Clark  County  breed- 
ers sent  Lewis  Hampton  and  W.  C.  Vanmeter 
to  England  early  in  1871  to  make  a  selection  of 
cattle  for  immediate  importation.  The  stock 
landed  in  New  York  April  11  and  was  disposed 
of  on  the  fair  grounds  near  Winchester  on  Aug. 
26.  Twenty-three  head  brought  $19,685,  an  av- 
erage of  $855.87,  the  highest  price  realized  being 
$]  ,300  for  the  red  heifer  Cowslip  2d,  bought  by 
Lewis  Hampton.  The  red  cow  Pride  of  the 
West,  bred  by  Mr.  G.  Game  and  sired  by  ex  p. 
6th  Duke  of  Airdrie  (19602),  went  to  W.  H.  Nel- 
son of  Montgomery  County  at  $1,250.  The 
same  buyer  took  the  red  yearling  heifer  Lady 
Spencer  2d,  by  Baron  Oxford  (23375),  at  $1,220. 
For  Rarity,  of  the  Charmer  tribe,  Asa  Bean 
gave  $1,080.  The  roan  bull  Peabody  (29535) 
went  to  W.  C.  Vanmeter  at  $900,  Duke  of  Ba- 


422         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

braham  (25934)  to  W.  L.  Sudduth  at  $790,  and 
the  Pawlett-Booth  bull  calf  Pioneer  12593  to 
same  buyer 'at  $400.  At  this  same  sale  a  draft 
of  home-bred  cattle  was  offered,  the  highest- 
priced  animal  contributed  by  local  breeders 
being  the  Young  Mary  cow  Beck  Taylor,  by 
Dick  Taylor,  taken  by  Mr.  J.  E.  Sudduth  at 
$600.  The  Young  Phyllis  yearling  heifer  Queen 
of  Hearts,  sired  by  the  show  bull  Burnsidq  4618, 
brought  $550. 

High  prices  in  Illinois. — Edward  lies  sold 
twenty-nine  head  at  Springfield,  111.,  Nov.  15, 
1871,  for  $14,940,  an  average  of  $515.17.  The 
show  cow  Jessie  Hope  well,  by  a  Booth  bull  on 
a  mixed  English  foundation,  was  included  in 
this  sale  and  was  taken  by  J.  H.  Kissinger  of 
Clarksville,  Mo.,  at  $2,500.  J.  G.  Taylor  of  De- 
catur,  111.,  bought  Oxford  Duchess,  a  two-year- 
old  Bates-topped  heifer  (imported  by  Hon.  M. 
H.  Gochrane),  for  $2,100.  The  yearling  show 
heifer  Nelly  Bly  of  Forest  Hill,  by  Gen.  Grant 
4825,  commanded  $1,800  from  Mr.  Spears.  Mr. 
Sodowsky  of  Indianola,  111.,  gave  $1,800  for  the 
red  cow  Potentilla,  of  mixed  English  breeding, 
also  imported  by  Mr.  Cochrane.  J.  H.  Pickrell 
took  the  imported  roan  cow  Statesman's  Daugh- 
ter 2d  at  $700,  and  other  parties,  afterward  well 
known  and  active  in  the  trade,  such  as  C.  E. 
Lippincott,  Messrs.  Parks,  A.  R.  Babbage,  Wil- 
liam Stewart,  Samuel  Dysart,  William  Smith, 


AN    ERA    OF    EXPANSION.  423 

Jeff  Bridgford  (Missouri),  et  al.,  were  buyers  of 
cows  and  heifers.  The  ten-year-old  7th  Duke 
of  Airdrie  was  bought  by  W.  B.  Dodge,  Wauke- 
gan,  111.,  at  $500,  and  the  roan  bull  calf  Chief 
Napier — a  "  J"  Princess  by  imp.  Gen.  Napier- 
was  taken  by  E.  W.  Mills,  Sullivan,  111.,  at  $800. 

The  great  trade  of  1872. — During  the  year 
1872  exportations  at  high  prices  to  Great 
Britain  were  renewed  on  a  still  more  extensive 
scale,  and  the  domestic  trade  was  vastly  in  ex- 
cess of  anything  previously  recorded,  no  less 
than  1,014  head  of  Short-horns  being  sold  at 
auction  in  the  United  States  during  the  year 
for  $317,256,  an  average  of  $313  each.  This, 
of  course,  does  not  include  the  great  list  of 
transfers  at  private  sale. 

Richard  Gibson,  who  was  now  located  at 
London,  Ont.,  went  to  Woodburn  in  April  and 
bought  the  8th,  13th  and  14th  Duchesses  of 
Airdrie  for  export  to  Cheney  of  Gaddesby  Hall. 
Along  with  the  Duchesses  he  sent  the  Princess 
cows  Primula  (bred  by  A.  B.  Conger),  Lady 
Wellington  and  Lady  Sale  of  Putney  (both 
bred  by  Messrs.  Winslow  of  Vermont),  the 
Gwynne  cow  Lady  Susan  3d  and  heifer  calf 
(bred  by  Mr.  White  of  Framingham,  Mass.), 
and  the  Constance  heifer  Rosina,  bred  by 
Cowan  of  Canada. 

Lord  Dunmore  again  drew  upon  America, 
ordering  from  Hill'hurst  the  Booth-bred  bulls 


424    A  HISTORY  OF  SHORT  HORN  CATTLE. 

Royal  Blithe  and  Breakspear  and  the  red  year- 
ling 3d  Duke  of  Hillhurst.  Mr.  Cochrane  had 
now  acquired  possession  of  the  Booth  stock 
imported  for  New  York  Mills.  Royal  Blithe 
was  a  son  of  the  Warlaby-bred  Merry  Peal,  but 
died  on  shipboard.  A  stormy  passage  was  en- 
countered and  the  other  two  bulls  arrived  at 
Liverpool  in  December  much  reduced  in  flesh. 

This  year  is  memorable  in  the  annals  of 
Kentucky  Short-horn  breeding  especially  for 
the  sale  to  Earl  Dunmore  by  Abram  Renick  of 
the  Rose  of  Sharon  heifers  Red  Rose  of  the 
fsles,  Red  Rose  of  Thorndale  and  Red  Rose  of 
Rannoch,  the  first  a  daughter  of  old  Airdrie, 
the  second  by  8th  Duke  of  Thorndale  and  the 
third  by  Joe  Johnson.  All  were  in  calf  to  the 
4th  Duke  of  Geneva.  Dunmore  had  been  at- 
tached to  the  staffs  of  various  Confederate 
commanders  during  the  American  Civil  War 
in  quest  of  military  experience.  He  was  with 
Lee,  Wade  Hampton  and  Kirby  Smith,  and 
when  the  latter  made  his  dash  into  Kentucky 
the  Scottish  Earl  improved  the  opportunity  to 
have  a  look  incognito  at  some  of  the  Short-horn 
herds  of  the  blue-grass  country.  Out  of  this 
visit  grew  his  subsequent  orders  for  cattle  of 
the  Rose  of  Sharon  tribe. 

Col.  L.  G.  Morris  of  New  York  brought  out 
in  August,  1872,  five  heifers  and  two  bulls  of 
Bates  blood,  including  the  bull  Oxford  Beau 


AN    ERA   OF    EXPANSION.  425 

2d,  of  Kingscote  breeding.  Australia  was  also 
buying  freely  in  the  mother  country  about  this 
period,  paying  the  Duke  of  Devonshire  $5,000 
for  24th  Duke  of  Oxford  (31002). 

The  first  public  sale  of  cattle  ever  held  at 
Dexter  Park,  Chicago,  occurred  this  year,  the 
herd  of  Mr.  E.  P.  Brockway  of  Wisconsin,  that 
acquired  considerable  reputation  in  the  show- 
ring,  going  under  the  hammer  at  an  average 
price  of  $693  per  head.  Col.  William  S.  King 
sold  twenty-eight  females  at  auction  at  an  av- 
erage of  $452,  the  show  heifer  Booth's  Lancas- 
ter bringing  $1,700  from  Messrs.  Parks  of  Glen 
Flora  Farm,  Waukegan,  111.,  and  the  imported 
cows  Henrietta  and  Countess  Oxford  going  to 
the  same  noted  herd  at  $1,500  and  $1,000  re- 
spectively. Booth's  Lancaster  was  resold  later 
to  S.  R.  Streator  of  Cleveland,  0.,  for  $2,000. 

It  was  during  this  year  also  that  J.  H.  Pick- 
rell  sold  imp.  British  Flag  13211,*  bred  by  Messrs. 
Dudding,  for  $1,800,  and  Baron  Lewis,  a  Phyllis 


*  British  Flag-  was  one  of  an  importation  made  in  1871  by  a  Capt.  Pratt, 
that  passed  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Pickrell.  Baron  Lewis  was  the  first 
Short-horn  bred  and  reared  in  Illinois  to  bring:  so  great  a  price.  At  this 
sale  a  very  persistent  stranger  bid  for  Baron  Lewis  against  Mr.  Sodowsky, 
and  when  the  $2,500  notch  was  reached  the  excitement  was  intense.  Turn- 
ing to  his  opponent  Mr.  S.  said:  "Well,  stranger,  you  must  have  lota  of 
money."  The  only  reply  was  an  advance  of  the  bid.  The  belligerent  Ver- 
milion  County  breeder,  however,  had  some  "  sand,"  as  well  as  means,  him- 
self, and  forced  his  rival  out  at  $3,000.  The  stranger  did  have  money  sure 
enough,  or  at  least  he  represented  it,  for  he  was  the  agent  of  the  Hon.  John 
Wentworth  of  Chicago.  "  Long  John,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  was 
fond  of  sending  "  unknowns  "  out  after  valuable  cattle  offered  at  public 
sale,  and  in  this  instance  only  repeated  his  tactics  as  already  noticed  in  his 
purchase  of  the  15th  Duke  of  Airdrie  some  years  previous. 


426        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

bull  by  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster,  to  "Uncle 
Harvey"  Sodowsky  of  Indianola,  111.,  for  $3,000 
at  a  public  sale  that  averaged  $603. 

Many  important  transactions  were  consum- 
mated this  season  at  private  treaty.  George 
Murray,  a  Scotchman  in  the  lumber  trade  at 
Racine,  Wis.,  who  had  been  a  heavy  buyer  at 
the  McMillan  sale,  now  acquired  from  Mr.  Al- 
exander the  afterward  celebrated  10th  Duchess 
of  Airdrie.  He  was  using  at  this  time  at  the 
head  of  his  Slausondale  Herd  the  17th  Duke  of 
Airdrie,  and  had  paid  $1,210  for  Mazurka  26th. 
J.  H.  Kissinger  of  Missouri  received  during  this 
season's  trade  $1,800  for  his  Caroline  Airdrie 
heifer  by  Mr.  PickrelPs  Sweepstakes  6230  to  go 
to  California. 

While  all  this  was  going  on  in  America 
prices  were  "booming"  abroad.  At  Earl  Dun- 
more's  sale  Sept.  5,  1872,  the  English  sale  rec- 
ord was  broken  when  Mr.  Thornton  disposed 
of  forty-eight  cows  and  heifers  for  over  $60,- 
000,  an  average  of  some  $1,250.  At  this  sale 
Baron  Oxford  5th  brought  $2,000.  The  highest 
price  for  a  female  was  $6,000  for  a  yearling  Ox- 
ford heifer,  another  of  the  same  family  bring- 
ing $5,050.  The  part  of  the  Earl's  herd  not 
offered  upon  this  occasion  comprised  his  Amer- 
ican importations,  one  or  two  favorite  old  cows, 
and  a  tribe  known  as  the  Revelrys — twenty- 
two  head  'in  all — for  which  $75,000  in  a  lump 


AN   ERA   OF   EXPANSION.  427 

sum  was  said  to  have  been  refused.  After  this 
sale  two  of  the  Red  Roses  (Renick  Rose  of 
Sharon)  were  parted  with  privately  at  $10,000. 
On  Nov.  30  following  Mr.  Simon  Beattie  shipped 
for  Lord  Dunmore  from  America  five  heifers, 
all  descended  from  imp.  Rose  of  Sharon,  by 
Belvedere  (1706).  Three  of  these  were  bred  by 
Abram  Renick — Minnie  4th?  by  old  Airdrie 
(30365);  Duchess  10th,  by  Joe  Johnson,  and 
Rose  of  Thorndale,  by  8th  Duke  of  Thorndale. 
The  other  two  were  of  the  Ohio  branch  of  the 
tribe,  tracing  through  Lady  of  the  Lake,  and 
were  bred  by  Mr.  Chauncey  Hills  of  Delaware; 
one  of  them  got  by  Mr.  Hills'  Imperial  Star- 
light 8270  and  the  other  by  Judge  Jones'  Ma- 
zurka Duke  of  Airdrie  10478.  Remarkable  as 
was  the  Dunmore  sale  of  Sept.  5  a  still  more 
sensational  one  was  soon  to  follow.  Messrs. 
Harward  &  Downing  sold  on  Sept.  18  sixty-one 
head  for  £15,458,  an  average  of  £253,  the  three- 
year-old  bull  8th  Duke  of  Geneva  going  to  Mr. 
Leney  at  £l,650,  or  fully  $8,250  in  gold,  the 
highest  price  paid  at  auction  for  any  animal  of 
the  breed  up  to  that  date.  Mr.  Downing  had 
paid  Mr.  Sheldon  of  New  York  $4,000  for  the 
bull  in  1869.  Col.  L.  G.  Morris  of  Fordham,  N. 
Y.,  was  a  buyer  at  this  sale.  The  highest-priced 
female  was  5th  Maid  of  Oxford  at  $4,500. 

Oakland  Favorite  10546  and  London  Duke 
6th  10399.— In  1870  Mr.  Charles  E.  Leonard  of 


428         A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Ravenswood  Farm,  Mo.,  had  purchased  from  D. 
McMillan  of  Ohio  the  eight-months  bull  calf 
Oakland  Favorite  10546,  sired  by  Loyal  Duke  of 
Oakland  6977  out  of  Mignonette  by  Gen.  Grant 
4825;  second  dam  Jessie — the  dam  of  Gen. 
Grant— by  Starlight  2d  2259.  He  sustained  the 
good  reputation  of  the  McMillan  stock,  prov- 
ing an  extra  show  bull  and  winning  for  Mr. 
Leonard  many  first  and  championship  prizes 
west  of  the  Mississippi  River. 

In  1872  Mr.  John  G.  Cowan  of  Holt  Co., 
Mo.,  purchased  the  celebrated  Loudon  Duke 
6th  10399,  bred  by  Mr.  Warfield  and  sired  by 
Muscatoon  7057  out  of  the  great  show  cow 
Loudon  Duchess  2d  by  Duncan's  Duke  of  Air- 
drie  2743.  We  believe  this  bull  was  once  de- 
feated at  Kansas  City  by  Mr.  Leonard's  Oak- 
land Favorite,  but  his  career  in  the  Missouri, 
Kansas  and  Nebraska  show-yards  represented 
an  almost  unbroken  line  of  victories.  He  was 
a  red  with  straight  top  and  bottom  lines;  a 
broad,  deep  chest;  good  on  the  fore  ribs  and 
through  the  heart;  possessing  smooth,  well-laid 
shoulders,  deep  ribs,  low  flanks,  faultless  hind 
quarters  and  the  traditional  Duke  of  Airdrie 
neatness.  He  had  been  shown  by  Mr.  Warfield 
with  great  success  in  Kentucky,  Ohio  and  In- 
diana, where  he  had  only  been  beaten  once  as 
as  a  yearling.  Mr.  Cowan  paid  $3,000  for  him 
as  a  two-year-old,  and  his  exhibition  at  the 


AN    ERA   OF    EXPANSION.  429 

Western  fairs  served  to  spread  the  reputation 
of  the  Short-horns  well  beyond  the  Missouri 
River.  Shown  with  his  get  he  never  met  de- 
feat. In  fact  as  a  breeding  bull  he  had  no 
equal  in  the  Western  country  in  his  day.  His 
descendants  in  the  Cowan  herd  were  distin- 
guished show  and  breeding  animals  for  many 
years,  and  one  of  his  sons  contributed  much  to 
the  success  of  the  late  Hon.  D.  M.  Moninger  in 
his  great  steer-breeding  operations  in  Iowa. 
In  the  hands  of  Mr.  Richard  Daniels,  one  of 
Nebraska's  pioneer  breeders,*  bulls  by  Loudon 
Duke  6th  rendered  capital  service,.and  one  of 
his  daughters,  London's  Minnie,  was  a  feature 
of  the  Short-horn  exhibit  at  the  Philadelphia 
Centennial. 

First  National  convention. — On  Nov.  27, 
1872,  the  first  National  convention  of  breeders 
of  Short-horns  ever  held  in  America  met  at  In- 
dianapolis, Ind.,  the  chairman  of  the  commit- 

*  Mr.  Ralph  Anderson  of  Falls  City  was  possibly  the  first  breeder  of 
Short-horns  in  Nebraska,  but  Mr.  Daniels  shipped,  in  1867,  the  first  speci- 
mens of  the  breed  ever  taken  to  the  State  by  rail,  paying-  $200  per  car  from 
Chicago.  A  chute  for  unloading-  had  to  be  specially  built  at  Council  Bluffs. 
Mr.  Daniels'  initial  purchases,  like  those  of  most  of  the  other  Western 
breeders,  were  largely  of  "Seventeen"  blood,  and  concerning-  these  he 
says:  "I  think  they  were  as  good  beef  cattle  as  I  ever  saw."  He  also 
brought  with  this  lot  a  two-year-old  steer  for  which  he  paid  $100  in  Michi- 
gan, keeping  him  until  he  was  six  years  old,  when  he  was  sold  to  Shirley 
Bros,  of  Omaha  for  Christmas  beef  at  a  high  price.  Mr.  Daniels  bought 
from  Mr.  Cowan  the  breeding  bull  Knight  of  St.  George  8473,  that  had  been 
bred  by  W.  R.  Duncan  of  Illinois.  He  was  a  Phyllis,  sired  by  Minister 
6363,  and  cost  Mr.  Daniels  $1,000.  Then  for  many  years  he  bred  from  sons 
of  Loudon  Duke  6th.  Speaking  of  his  experience  with  Short-horns  "  Uncle 
Dick,"  as  this  veteran  Nebraska  breeder  is  familiarly  called,  says:  "If  I 
had  to  begin  life  over  again  I  would  breed  Short-horns.  They  always  paid 


430        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

tee  that  issued  the  call  for  this  important 
meeting  having  been  the  late  Hon.  Claude 
Matthews  of  Indiana.  This  great  mass  meet- 
ing grew  out  of  a  desire  on  the  part  of  those 
who  were  the  recognized  leaders  in  the  trade 
at  this  date  to  have  a  higher  standard  of  regis- 
try established  for  the  herd  book,  which  was  at 
that  time  the  private  property  of  Mr.  Lewis  F. 
Allen.  Those  who  had  been  paying  long  prices 
for  stock  of  comparatively  recent  importation, 
or  immediate  descendants  thereof,  sought  to 
cast  discredit  upon  cattle  bred  from  many  of 
the  earlier  importations,  and  it  was  argued 
that  inasmuch  as  some  of  the  foundation  stock 
in  the  herd  book  had  no  pedigree,  and  as  others 
registered  in  the  early  days  boasted  pedigrees 
known  to  be  of  questionable  character,  it  was 
necessary  to  practically  treat  the  descendants 
of  such  cattle  as  "grades."  Indeed  the  ques- 
tion of  demanding  a  more  rigid  standard  of  ad- 
mission to  the  herd  book  was  the  prime  factor 
in  the  calling  of  this  convention.  George  W. 
Rust,  through  the  Live-Stock  Journal,  had  pub- 
lished scathing  denunciations  of  what  he  char- 
acterized as  the  inexcusable  laxity  of  the  Allen 
rules,  and  the  fact  that  the  "purists"  had  al- 
ready gone  so  far  as  to  establish  in  Kentucky 
(under  the  powerful  patronage  of  Mr.  A.  J.  Al- 
exander and  under  the  immediate  direction  of 
Maj.  Humphrey  Evans)  a  rival  pedigree  regis- 


AN   ERA   OF   EXPANSION.  431 

ter  known  as  the  "  American  Short-horn  Rec- 
ord" indicated  the  extent  and  depth  of  the  feel- 
ing existing  in  respect  to  this  matter. 

After  extended  debate  the  following  resolu- 
tions bearing  upon  this  and  another  mooted 
question  were  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  the  ancestry  of  the  animals  should  be  traced  on 
both  sides  to  imported  animals,  or  to  those  heretofore  recorded  in 
the  American  Herd  Book,  with  pedigrees  not  false  or  spurious, 
before  they  can  be  entitled  to  registry. 

Resolved,  That  the  person  under  whose  direction  the  animals 
are  coupled  should  be  recognized  as  the  breeder  of  the  produce. 

Mr.  Allen  accepted  these  and  the  other  rec- 
ommendations of  the  convention  and  agreed 
to  be  governed  by  them  in  the  conduct  of  the 
herd  book. 

Opposition  to  prevailing  "fashions"  devel- 
oped.—  The  era  of  speculation  was  now  in 
full  swing.  BelPs  history  of  Bates  cattle  and 
Carr's  history  of  the  Booth  herds  had  ap- 
peared in  England,  and  were  widely  read  in 
America.  Controversies  were  waged  through 
the  public  press  and  at  every  gathering  of 
breeders  over  the  pedigrees  and  character  of 
the  great  rival  types.  Prominent  among  those 
who  took  part  in  this  in  the  States  were  Hon. 
T.  C.  Jones  of  Delaware,  0.,  and  A.  S.  Matthews 
of  Wytheville,  Va.,  both  of  whom  ridiculed 
many  of  the  claims  made  by  the  partisans  of 
the  Bates  Short-horns.  Judge  Jones  was  a 
man  of  strong  intellect,  deeply  versed  in  Short- 


432        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

horn  lore,  and  as  fond  of  a  controversy  as  any 
native  of  Erin.  He  was  an  experienced  breeder, 
and  for  a  period  of  nearly  twenty  years  was  one 
of  the  leading  American  writers  on  Short-horn 
cattle.  His  ability,  honesty  of  purpose,  and 
virile  character  commanded  the  respect  even 
of  those  who  differed  with  him  in  relation  to 
the  various  controverted  tenets  of  the  Short- 
horn faith.  There  was  a  sharp  tilt  in  England 
between  Lord  Dunmore  and  Mr.  J.  B.  Booth,  in 
the  course  of  which  the  latter  challenged  the 
Earl  to  show  twenty  head  of  the  Killerby  Hec- 
ubas  against  a  like  number  of  any  one  tribe  at 
Dunmore  for  $5,000  a  side,  to  which  His  Lord- 
ship responded  that  he  did  not  have  that  num- 
ber of  any  one  tribe  in  his  pastures.  It  is  of 
interest  at  this  juncture,  as  reflecting  a  feeling 
that  was  becoming  very  prevalent  at  this  stage 
of  the  proceedings,  to  note  that  the  National 
Live-Stock  Journal  in  commenting  upon  the 
Booth-Dun  more  controversy  in  its  issue  of  Jan- 
uary, 1873,  used  the  following  significant  lan- 
guage: 

"  The  Booth  and  Bates  men  usually  profit  by  these  discussions ; 
they  no  doubt  intended  that  this  controversy  should  tend,  as  pre- 
vious ones  have,  to  attract  public  attention  to  those  rival  strains, 
until  purchasers  should  be.  persuaded  that  the  only  question  for 
them  to  decide  was  which  of  the  'breeds,'  to  use  the  language  of 
Mr.  Bates,  should  be  selected.  Hearing  this  perpetual  contro- 
versy it  is  not  strange  that  amateurs  should  be  willing  to  pay  long 
prices  for  a  Booth  or  Bates  pedigree,  without  regard  to  the  excel- 
lence of  the  animal.  But  that  practical  men,  who  have  had  ex- 
perience in  breeding,  and  especially  that  managers  of  publications 


AN    ERA   OF    EXPANSION. 


433 


supported  by  the  owners  of  Short-horns  of  all  strains,  should  aid 
in  keeping  up  this  mania  is  a  matter  we  cannot  comprehend.  For 
our  own  part  we  mean  in  the  future,  as  in  the  past,  to  keep  clear 
of  this  mania.  While  admitting,  as  we  always  have,  the  high  ex- 
cellence of  these  rival  stocks  we  shall  insist  that  they  are  not 
superior  in  blood  or  in  valuable  characteristics  to  the  cattle  of 
other  good  breeders,  and  that  those,  therefore,  who  claim  for 
them  this  pre-eminent  superiority  are  misleading  the  public  and 
unjustly  depreciating  the  value  of  other  Short-horns." 

This  is  the  first  time  we  find  any  public  edi- 
torial condemnation  of  the  tendency  of  the 
times  in  Short-horn  breeding  circles,  a  fact 
which  indicates  clearly  that  the  rank  and  file 
of  American  Short-horn  breeders  were  begin- 
ning to  grow  restive  under  the  constant  and 
usually  arrogant  assumptions  of  superiority  in- 
dulged in  by  the  dealers  in  the  "fashionable" 
strains  of  that  day. 

H 


CHAPTER    XV. 


THE    SENSATION   OF   SEVENTY- THREE. 

The  year  1873  dawned  with  the  breed  bask- 
ing in  the  sunshine  of  a  popularity  such  as  no 
other  variety  of  improved  live  stock  has  ever 
enjoyed.  The  wealth  of  the  cattle-breeding 
world  was  now  ready  to  be  poured  at  the  feet 
of  the  Short-horn.  Notwithstanding  the  inter- 
nal dissensions  noted  in  the  preceding  chapter, 
agricultural  history  has  no  parallel  to  the  en- 
thusiasm and  boundless  devotion  displayed  by 
the  followers  of  the  "red,  white  and  roan" 
during  this  and  the  years  immediately  succeed- 
ing. The  beauty  and  practical  utility  of  the 
breed  had  captivated  the  great  landed  proprie- 
tors of  both  hemispheres,  as  well  as  the  farm- 
ers and  feeders  of  both  continents;  and  under 
the  stimulus  of  a  demand  almost  world-wide 
in  its  character  those  who  had  the  means  to 
gratify  their  taste  for  rare  specimens  of  the 
breed  were  forced  to  measure  values  not  so 
much  by  the  mere  intrinsic  worth  of  individ- 
ual animals  for  the  feed-lot  or  the  dairy  as  by 
the  degree  of  personal  satisfaction  flowing 

(434) 


THE    SENSATION   OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        435 

from  the  ownership  of  Short-horns  of  illustri- 
ous lineage  or  bearing  the  badge  of  show-yard 
superiority. 

It  is  true  there  were  certain  parties  identi- 
fied with  the  trade  who  were  engaged  in  pro- 
moting public  interest  from  purely  mercenary 
motives.  Such  individuals  did  what  they  could, 
of  course,  to  add  fuel  to  the  fire,  but  it  goes 
without  saying  that  their  utmost  efforts  would 
have  been  wholly  unavailing  but  for  the  exist- 
ence of  an  abiding  appreciation  of  the  breed 
upon  both  sides  the  Atlantic,  which  was  as  pro- 
found as  it  was  widespread  and  persistent.  It 
therefore  came  to  pass  at  this  period  that  those 
who  sought  what  they  regarded  as  the  most 
desirable  cattle  of  the  breed  were  compelled  to 
pay  exorbitant  and  finally  fabulous  prices;  but 
the  mere  fact  that  breeders  and  fanciers  were 
willing  to  follow  their  favorites  to  the  amazing 
figures  quoted  in  the  following  pages  is  in  it- 
self a  tribute  to  the  fascinating  character  of 
the  Short-horn  such  as  no  other  race  of  domes- 
tic animals  has  ever  yet  received. 

"Coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before." 
While  it  was  not  until  the  autumn  of  1873  that 
the  pent-up  enthusiasm  for  the  Duchess  blood 
was  at  length  unchained,  transactions  both  at 
auction  and  at  private  treaty  forecasted  por- 
tentous events  early  in  the  year.  Trade  opened 
up  briskly  in  the  West. 


436        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Spring  sales  1873.— At  the  Parks*  and  Mur- 
ray sales,  in  April,  Col.  James  W.  Judy  as  auc- 
tioneer disposed  of  twenty-four  females  for 
the  former  at  an  average  of  $783,  and  thirty- 
two  for  Mr.  Murray  at  an  average  of  $848.  Of 
the  Glen  Flora  (Parks)  lot  Messrs.  Sodowsky 
took  the  two  imported  cows  Countess  of  Oxford 
and  Henrietta  at  $2,000  each.  D.  M.  Flynn  of 
Des  Moines,  la.,  bought  Moss  Rose  at  $1,610, 
and  A.  H.  &  I.  B.  Day  of  Utica,  la.,  took  imp. 
Lady  Brough  at  $1,680.  Elliott  &  Kent  of  Des 

*  Messrs.  C.  C.  &  R.  H.  Parks  were  Wall  street  brokers,  and  had  for- 
merly resided  at  Waukegan.  After  acquiring  possession  of  the  Glen  Flora 
Farm  they  soon  decided  upon  stocking  it  with  pedigreed  cattle,  horses  and 
sheep.  Their  attention  was  drawn  to  Short-horns  through  the  herd  that 
Mr.  W.  B.  Dodge  had  established  at  Waukegan.  Their  first  investment  was 
in  1869,  when  they  bought  five  heifers,  by  Minister  6353,  of  W.  R.  Duncan  for 
$2,000.  They  bought  Lady  of  Racine,  a  daughter  of  Lady  of  Clark,  famous 
in  Ohio  Short-horn  history,  from  Mr.  Dodge  and  sold  her  to  George  Murray 
for  $4,000.  This  transaction,  we  believe,  occurred  while  the  parties  were 
tain  tendance  at  the  McMillan  sale.  Messrs.  Parks  hired  the  late  Mr.  John 
Hope  as  herdsman  in  the  spring  of  1870,  and  bought  the  Torr  bull  imp. 
Gen.  Napier  from  Col.  King  with  a  view  toward  showing  at  the  Wiscon- 
sin State  Fair  and  various  local  shows,  where  they  met  George  Murray, 
Messrs.  Brockway  and  others.  Gen.  Napier  was  a  very  low,  thick,  mellow- 
fleshed  bull,  and  one  of  the  very  first  of  his  get  was  the  famous  Jubilee 
Napier,  sold  to  Mr.  Pickrell.  Other  good  ones  were  Miss  Leslie  Napier, 
that  went  to  C.  A.  DeGraff  at  a  high  price,  and  Gem  of  Eryholme,  sold  to  S. 
W.  Jacobs  of  Iowa.  All  of  these  made  great  reputations  and  were  grand 
individual  cattle.  Gen.  Napier  was  afterward  sold  to  Stephen  Dunlap,  but 
realizing  their  mistake  Messrs.  Parks  bought  him  back.  They  purchased 
the  entire  herd  of  C.  K.  Ward  of  New  York,  besides  a  number  of  cattle  from 
Messrs.  Lusk,  Wadsworth,  Pratt  and  other  prominent  Eastern  breeders, 
and  were  for  several  years  among  the  most  active  in  the  American  Short- 
horn trade. 

The  Glen  Flora  Herd  that  was  shown  in  the  fall  of  1872  won  something 
over  $2,000  in  prizes  at  Michigan  and  Wisconsin  State  Fairs  and  the  district 
fairs  held  at  Aurora  and  Dixon,  111.  It  included  the  bulls  imp.  Gen.  Napier, 
imp  Scotsman,  imp.  Baron  Hubback  2d,  and  among  the  females  were  the 
champion  cow  imp.  Henrietta,  imp.  Ruberta,  imp.  Lady  Brough,  shown  as 
a  two-year-old;  Miss  Leslie,  Pattie  Moore,  Miss  Leslie  Napier,  and  the  calf 
8d  Gem  of  Eryholme.  This  was  a  strong  lot,  admirably  fitted. 


. 


THE   SENSATION   OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        437 

Moines  secured  imp.  Frill  at  $1,050.  Sodowsky 
bought  imp.  Scotsman  10951,  of  Lyndale  fame, 
at  $1,000.  Scotsman  was  a  roan  of  the  Duke  of 
Buccleuch's  breeding,  and  it  is  of  interest  to 
note  in  passing  that  he  was  a  half-brother  to 
the  dam  of  the  afterward  famous  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond, so  celebrated  in  the  herd  of  J.  H.  Potts 
&  Son.  At  the  Murray  sale  A.  B.  Conger  of 
New  York  bought  the  17th  Duke  of  Airdrie  for 
$2,300,  and  S.  W.  Jacobs  of  West  Liberty,  la., 
the  cow  Forest  Queen  at  $1,280.  Gen.  Sol 
Meredith  of  Indiana  gave  $1,325  for  Valeria; 
S.  W.  Jacobs  $1,350  for  3d  Louan  of  Slauson- 
dale;  William  Stewart  of  Taylor,  111.,  $1,700  for 
2d  Lady  of  Racine  and  $1,400  for  Mazurka  20th, 
and  G.  W.  Gaines  of  Ridge  Farm  $1,775  for 
Mazurka  23d.  W.  B.  Dodge  of  Waukegan  sold 
a  lot  at  the  same  time  at  high  prices,  G.  J. 
Hagerty  of  Ohio  paying  $1,010  for  Elsie,  and 
Elliott  &  Kent  $1,000  for  Mazurka  of  Wood- 
lawn. 

In  May  of  this  year  Col.  King  sold  ten  head 
to  William  S.  Chapman  and  J.  D.  Carr  of  Cali- 
fornia for  $10,000,  including  the  prize  bull  Old 
Sam  10551. 

Dunmore's  big  deal. — Meantime  Lord  Dun- 
more  closed  a  trade  with  the  Hon.  M.  H.  Coch- 
rmie  for  ten  head  of  Bates-bred  cattle  for  $50,- 
000.  This  lot  included  6th  Duke  of  Geneva, 
Duchesses  97th,  101st  and  103d,  one  Waterloo 


438        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

and  five  Wild  Eyes.  Duchess  97th  at  the  time 
of  this  sale  to  Dunmore  was  at  Walcott  & 
Campbell's,  being  bred  to  the  2d  Duke  of  Onei- 
da.  Duchess  103d  died  at  Hillhurst  before  the 
order  was  filled. 

Summer  sales. — In  July  Edward  lies  sold 
imp.  Cherub  11505  at  auction  at  Springfield  for 
$6,000  to  J.  H.  Spears  of  Tallula,  111.,*  and  at 
the  same  sale  Gen.  Meredith  paid  $2,000  for 
Joan  of  Arc,  $1,650  for  Royal  Duchess  2d,  $1,200 
for  Royal  Duchess  3d  and  $2,200  for  two  Louans; 
Henry  Clark  of  Missouri  $1,000  for  Anna  Bo- 
leyn;  S.  C.  Duncan  of  same  State  $1,100  for 
Florence;  J.  H.  Kissinger  $1,000  for  Prairie 
Blossom,  and  W.  R.  Duncan  $1,000  for  Baron- 
ess Bates  3d.  About  the  same  time  William 
Stewart  of  Franklin  Grove,  111.,  sold  a  lot  at  an 
average  of  $540,  chiefly  notable  now  from  the 
fact  that  it  contained  the  first  specimen  of  the 
breeding  of  Mr.  Amos  Cruickshank  of  Sittyton, 
Aberdeenshire,  Scotland,  to  pass  through  the 
sale-ring  in  the  West  since  the  Illinois  Import- 
ing Co.'s  sale  of  1857,  viz.:  the  show  cow  Vio- 
let's Forth,  bought  by  J.  H.  Spears  for  $1,525. 
George  Otley  gave  $1,000  at  this  sale  for  Dove 
6th.  On  June  25  J.  H.  Kissinger  held  a  sale 
that  averaged  $540  on  the  females,  the  "top"  of 

*  Cherub  was  bred  by  Lord  Sudeley  of  Gloucestershire,  Eng.,  and  was 
got  by  Baron  Booth  (21212),  sire  of  imp.  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster,  out  of 
Seraphina  13th  by  John  o'  Gaunt  (IG322).  He  was  imported  by  Cochrane, 
who  sold  him  to  lies. 


THE    SENSATION    OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        439 

which  was  Illustrious  3d  at  $2,050  to  T.  W. 
Garrard  of  Missouri.  This  was  one  of  the  best 
cows  of  her  time — a  red-roan,  bred  by  James 
N.  Brown's  Sons  and  sired  by  the  Roan  Duch- 
ess bull  Gallant  Duke  6749  from  a  cow  descend- 
ing from  imp.  Illustrious  by  Emperor.  She  was 
five  years  old  at  the  time  of  this  sale.  J.  H. 
Spears  bought  the  Pomona  show  cow  Phoebe 
Taylor  for  $1,500  and  Mr.  Pickrell  the  red 
Beauty  by  De  Yaux  cow  Farina  2d,  also  a 
noted  prize-taker,  at  the  same  figure.  The 
Daisy  (by  Wild)  show  bull  Duke  of  Airdrie 
9800  went  to  H.  Clark  of  Missouri  at  $1,000. 
At  Dr.  A.  C.  Stevenson's  sale  at  Greencastle, 
Ind.,  Aug.  13,  $1,000  was  paid  by  J.  Bridges, 
Bainbridge,  Ind.,  for  Stevenson's  28th  and 
$1,100  by  same  party  for  Stevenson's  37th. 
At  R.  R.  Seymour's  sale  at  Chillicothe,  0.,  a 
half-interest  in  3d  Duke  of  Oneida  sold  for 
$3,300  to  John  Montgomery,  Licking,  0.  At 
R.  H.  Prewitt's  sale  at  Pine  Grove,  Ky.,  July 
31,  Gen.  Meredith  gave  $2,800  for  the  Booth 
bull  imp.  Forest  Napier  11973.  At  Winches- 
ter, Ky.,  Aug.  1,  at  a  sale  conducted  by  Capt. 
P.  C.  Kidd  for  the  estate  of  Lewis  Hampton, 
$3,300  was  paid  by  B.  B.  Groom  for  Mazurka 
Belle  and  $3,150  by  same  party  for  Lady  Paw- 
lett.  At  the  same  sale  Geneva  Lad  10129  went 
to  A.  H.  Hampton  at  $1,850,  the  cow  Mazurka 
Belle  2d  to  Hon.  T.  J.  Megibben  at  $2,050, 


440        A    HISTORY   OF    RHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Annie  Laura  to  S.  F.  Lockridge,  Greencastle, 
Ihd.,  for  $1,000,  the  bull  Mazurka  Lad  15928  to 
J.  V.  Grigsby  at  $1,400,  and  the  bull  Mazurka 
Duke  2d  15927  to  Mr.  W.  Voorhies  of  Illinois  at 
$1,225.  Abram  Van  Meter  sold  at  Winchester, 
Ky.,  Aug.  2  and  received  $2,000  from  R.  H. 
Prewitt  for  Forest  Queen,  $1,010  from  John 
Grigsby  for  Forest  Beauty  and  $1,000  from  the 
same  buyer  for  May  Cadenza.  On.  Aug.  5 
George  M.  Bedford  made  an  average  of  $849  on 
twenty-seven  females,  receiving  for  5th  Duch- 
ess Louan  $3,575,  for  23d  Duchess  of  Goodness 
$2,950,  for  22d  of  same  name  $1,000,  for  the 
21st  $1,025— all  to  local  buyers— and  for  9th 
Duke  of  Goodness  11736  $4,500  from  Strawn  & 
Lewis  of  Ottawa,  111.  At  James  Hall's  sale  at 
Paris,  Ky.,  Aug.  6,  S.  F.  Lockridge  gave  $1,060 
for  Sarah  Rice  5th.  At  Silver  Lake,  Kan.,  on 
Aug.  20  the  State  Agricultural  College  paid 
Andrew  Wilson  $1,050  and  $900  respectively 
for  a  pair  of  Young  Marys — Grace  Youngs  4th 
and  5th. 

While  these  sales  serve  to  indicate  the  pre- 
vailing furor  as  evidenced  around  the  auction 
block,  leading  breeders  were  making  important 
private  transfers.  Leney  took  to  England  from 
New  York  Mills  10th  Maid  of  Oxford  and  6th 
Duke  of  Oneida.  A.  J.  Alexander  sold  15th 
Duchess  of  Airdrie  for  export  to  Cheney  at 
$10,000!  J.  H.  Pickrell  while  attending  the 


THE    SENSATION   OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        441 

Kentucky  sales  bought  the  famous  Booth  bull 
Breastplate  11195  from  Prewitt  for  $6,250. 
George  Murray  bought  llth  Duke  of  Geneva 
9843  from  George  M.  Bedford  at  a  reported 
price  of  $10,000.  The  bull  had  been  bought  by 
Mr.  Bedford  at  Hughes  &  Richardson's  sale  of 
1872  for  $6,000.  Richard  Gibson  exported  a 
half-dozen  females  of  the  Frantic  or  Fletcher 
Bell-Bates  sort,  a  Kirklevington  cow  and  two 
Princesses,  and  sent  word  back  from  England 
that  at  Cheney's  sale  the  9th  Duke  of  Geneva's 
heifers  averaged  over  $2,000  each!  The  pot 
was  boiling  furiously  on  both  sides  the  Atlantic 
and — then  came  the  deluge. 

New  York  Mills  dispersion. — Hon.  Samuel 
Campbell,  after  acquiring  the  interest  of  his 
partner  (Mr.  Walcott)  in  the  Duchesses  and 
other  Short-horns  at  New  York  Mills,  was  now 
ready  for  the  coup  toward  which  the  events 
detailed  in  the  foregoing  pages  had  all  been 
tending,  to-wit.:  the  closing-out  of  the  entire 
herd  at  auction.  The  10th  of  September,  1873, 
was  the  day  set  for  the  event.  John  R.  Page, 
Sennett,  N.  Y.,  was  engaged  as  auctioneer  and 
Mr.  Carr  of  England  was  asked  to  write  up  the 
herd  on  the  other  side  the  water  for  a  consid- 
eration of  1-J  per  cent  of  the  gross  receipts. 
H.  Straff ord,  the  celebrated  English  auctioneer 
and  editor  of  the  English  Herd  Book,  was  cor- 
responded with.  He  was  to  sell  the  Duchesses 


442         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

for  a  fee  of  1,000  guineas!  He  published  a  sale 
catalogue  of  the  Duchesses  and  Oxfords.  Page 
announced:  "I  have  the  sale  and  shall  be 
pleased  to  see  Mr.  Strafford  and  have  his  as- 
sistance, but  he  will  sell  what  I  choose  to  as- 
sign him.  I  am  the  auctioneer."  The  Carr 
episode  led  to  a  long  and  heated  newspaper 
controversy,  in  the  course  of  which  Bell's  Mes- 
senger of  London  said:  "The  words  quoted  by 
Mr.  Carr  mean  that  when  he  offered  to  Mr. 
Campbell  as  a  salable  commodity  his  influence 
with  British  Short-horn  buyers  and  Mr.  Camp- 
bell agreed  to  accept  it  at  a  price  both  Mr. 
Campbell  and  Mr.  Carr  (on  their  own  showing) 
were  guilty  of  disgraceful  traffic  in  public  con- 
fidence." All  of  which  served  as  capital  adver-' 
tising. 

There  were  now  no  Duchesses  living  on 
either  side  the  Atlantic  descended  direct  from 
Mr.  Bates'  herd,  without  admixture  of  blood 
from  other  sources,  save  those  at  New  York 
Mills,  and  they  were  all  derived  from  Duchess 
66th.*  Just  why  this  should  have  made  the 
Mills  cattle  so  much  more  precious  than  their 

*The  leading  outcrosses  on  the  Duchesses  came  through  2d  Duke  of 
Athol  (11376)  into  the  Duchesses  of  Airdrie,  through  Usurer  (9763)  into  the 
English  Duchesses,  through  Imperial  Oxford  4905,  Prince  Imperial  (15095) 
and  2d  Duke  of  Bolton  (12739)  into  the  Grand  Duchesses,  and  through  Grand 
Turk  (12969)  into  some  of  the  Dukes  of  Thorndale.  Outcrosses  put  upon  the 
Oxfords  included  Borneo  (13619)  and  his  sons  Oxford  Lad  4220  and  Imperial 
Oxford  4905;  Marquis  of  Carrabas  (11789),  bred  by  Fawkes,  and  Lamartine 
(11662),  bred  by  J.  M.  Sherwood.  Imperial  Duke  (18083),  that  was  half-Duch- 
ess and  half-Knightley,  had  also  been  introduced  into  some  of  the  Duchess 
and  Oxford  pedigrees. 


THE    SENSATION    OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        443 

distinguished  relatives  is  not  apparent  at  this 
time,  especially  in  view  of  the  freedom  with 
which  Mr.  Bates  had  outcrossed  the  family 
during  his  lifetime,  except  upon  the  hypoth- 
esis that  all  skill  and  judgment  in  mating  cat- 
tle perished  with  the  founder  of  the  tribe.  As 
a  matter  of  fact  evidence  was  not  wanting  that 
this  very  element  of  "purity"  carried  with  it 
the  seeds  of  danger.  At  the  time  Gibson  sev- 
ered his  connection  with  the  herd*  it  was  of 
high  average  merit,  but  it  had  been  culled 
freely  and  handled  with  consummate  judg- 

*  Richard  Gibson,  speaking-  of  the  sale,  says:  "The  question  of  the 
hour  was  not  what  the  average  would  be  but  what  would  a  Duchess  bring? 
Some  were  sanguine  enough  to  place  the  figure  at  $20,000.  In  the  morning 
the  tension  was  something  terrific,  and  as  the  time  to  commence  drew  near 
little  coteries  were  beginning  to  bunch  together,  Kentucky's  tall  sons  to 
the  northwest  of  the  ring,  the  English  visitors  on  the  southwest,  while  the 
others  were  promiscuously  seated  in  the  stand.  Kello,  the  incomprehen- 
sible, was  alone  away  from  all  the  rest,  fearful  to  mix  with  these  dreaded 
Yankees  lest  they  should  steal  not  his  purse  but  his  thoughts  and  inten- 
tions. During  the  forenoon  W.  R.  Duncan  had  approached  Mr.  Campbell, 
saying:  'I  apprehend,  sir,  you  are  aware  that  Mr.  Page  can't  sell  this 
bunch  of  cattle  in  one  day.' 

"Mr.  Campbell  posted  off  to  Page  and  said:  'I  hope  you  will  not  at- 
tempt to  sell  all  these  cattle  in  one  day.'  'I  shall,' replied  Page.  'Then, 
sir,  I  shall  consider  that  you  are  sacrificing  my  property,'  was  Campbell's 
rejoinder.  '  May  I  take  the  bids  as  fast  as  they  come? '  asked  the  auction- 
eer. 

"  On  a  watering  trough  in  the  center  of  a  ring  Mr.  Page  took  his  stand. 
The  proverbial  pin  could  have  been  heard  to  drop.  The  excitement  at  this 
moment  was  intense;  not  noisy  or  boisterous,  but  for  two  or  three  days 
the  tension  had  gradually  been  increasing.  There  was  the  keenest  anxiety 
as  to  what  the  Englishmen  were  after,  and  a  determination  to  prevent  them 
from  taking  all  the  best.  Mr.  Page  gauged  the  feeling  of  his  company. 
They  had  not  come,  some  of  them  over  three  thousand  miles,  to  hear  a  lot 
of  Cheap  John  spread-eagleism,  but  for  business.  He  said:  'Gentlemen, 
please  give  me  your  attention  and  I  will  read  the  conditions  of  this  sale.' 
The  2d  Duke  of  Oneida  was  brought  into  the  ring  while  he  was  reading 
them.  'Will  anyone  make  me  an  offer  on  the  bull?'  were  the  opening 
words.  'Ten  thousand  dollars,' came  the  answer  from  the  Kentucliians, 
and  so  the  sale  began." 


444       A  HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ment.  The  desire  to  possess  the  "pure"  blood, 
regardless  of  all  other  considerations,  had  taken 
firm  hold  upon  those  who  considered  that  the 
Duchesses  as  Bates  had  left  them  constituted 
the  creme  de  la  creme  of  the  Short-horn  breed. 
The  National  pride  of  the  English  breeders  was 
appealed  to  with  success.  America  had  taken 
from  the  mother-land  what  many  of  the  Britons 
esteemed  as  the  highest  single  source  of  Short- 
horn excellence.  Hence  they  came  to  New 
York  Mills  prepared  to  heap  their  golden  guin- 
eas high  against  American  dollars.  History 
has  long  since  characterized  this  as  a  day  of 
monumental  folly,  but  as  the  event  stands  out 
in  bold  relief  as  the  crowning  sensation  of  the 
century  in  the  realm  of  stock-breeding  it  there- 
fore demands  adequate  record  in  these  pages. 
Some  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  scene  may  be 
gleaned  from  the  following  notes  made  by  an 
eye  witness — the  late  George  W.  Rust,  whose 
library  and  manuscripts  were  acquired  by  pur- 
chase by  the  author  many  years  ago: 

The  Duchesses  of  course  formed  the  attractive  feature  of  this 
sale :  and  in  the  lobbies  at  the  hotels,  which  were  thronged  with 
breeders  from  all  parts  of  this  country,  and  a  liberal  representa- 
tion of  English  breeders,  speculation  was  rife  as  to  the  prices 
which  would  be  realized.  It  was  rumored  that  the  Englishmen 
(with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Kello,  who  represented  Mr.  R.  Pavin 
Davies,  with  whom  the  other  English  gentlemen  refused  to  enter 
into  any  arrangement)  had  a  private  understanding  as  to  which 
animal  each  person  would  bid  upon,  the  others  agreeing  not  to 
compete  with  their  countrymen  in  these  cases,  and  that  Earl  Bec- 
fcive's  representative  had  brought  £13,000  (about  170.000;  with 


THE    SENSATION   OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        445 

him,  and  it  began  to  be  whispered  that  some  of  the  females  would 
bring  as  high  as  $15,000  each.  This  seemed  like  a  fabulous  price, 
however ;  and  as  every  one  took  great  pains  to  conceal  his  own  in- 
tentions there  were  many  persons  loth  to  believe  that  this  much 
was  to  be  paid,  arid  the  probability  of  $15,000  being  paid  for  a 
single  animal  on  the  morrow  was  the  staple  subject  of  discussion 
as  long  as  the  lobbies  contained  any  people.  Gradually  they 
thinned  out,  and  soon  after  midnight  they  were  entirely  deserted 
and  Short-horns  and  Duchesses  passed  out  of  mind,  save  as  the 
anxious  ones  painted  and  pictured  them  in  their  dreams.  With 
the  earliest  streak  of  dawn  the  hotel  lobbies  began  to  fill,  and  the 
probable  events  of  the  day  engaged  the  attention  of  all.  Before 
the  breakfast  hour  had  passed  it  was  evident  something  new  and 
startling  had  been  discovered ;  and  soon  it  was  whispered  that  a 
delegation  from  Clark  Co.,  Ky.,  was  present  with  $60,000,  which 
had  been  raised  for  the  purchase  of  three  females,  and  the  proba- 
bility of  $20,000  being  paid  formed  the  subject  of  eager  discussion. 
The  sum  seemed  so  enormous,  however,  that  few  believed-  it,  al- 
though the  minds  of  all  were  in  a  measure  prepared  for  such  an 
event. 

By  10  o'clock  the  hotels  were  deserted  and  the  crowds  had 
transferred  themselves  to  the  Mills,  where  they  thronged  the 
stables  or  gathered  in  excited  groups  about  the  ample  grounds. 
At  1  o'clock  Mr.  Page  announced  the  sale.  Those  in  attendance 
had  gathered  upon  the  stand  with  the  seats  ranged  one  above  an- 
other, and  the  reporters  and  clerks  sharpened  their  pencils  at  the 
tables.  The  first  animal  led  into  the  ring  was  the 

2d  Duke  of  Oneida,  a  deep  red,  calved  Aug.  3,  1870,  got  by  4th 
Duke  of  Geneva  7931  out  of  13th  Duchess  of  Thorndale  by  10th 
Duke  of  Thorndale  (28458) .  Mr.  Alexander  of  Kentucky  wanted 
him,  as  did  Mr.  T.  J.  Megibben  of  the  same  State,  and  negotiations 
had  been  pending  between  them  all  the  morning  looking  to  the 
transfer  to  Mr.  Megibben  of  Mr.  Alexander's  Duke  of  Airdrie, 
which,  if  they  had  proved  successful,  would  have  taken  Mr. 
Megibben  out  of  the  competition  and  brought  Mr.  Alexander  in. 
These  negotiations,  however,  were  not  successful,  in  consequeiice 
of  the  price  demanded  by  Mr.  Alexander ;  and  making  a  final  un- 
successful effort  to  reconcile  their  differences,  while  the  auc- 
tioneer was  making  his  preliminary  remarks,  Mr.  Megibben 
started  the  bull  at  $10,000.  The  English  gentlemen  were  gath- 
ered in  a  little  knot  at  the  left  of  the  auctioneer  and  wanted 
the  bull  also,  and  the  opening  bid  fell  among  them  like  a  bomb, 
shell  and  gave  them  the  first  intimation  of  the  character  and 


446        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

nerve  of  the  gentlemen  who  were  to  contest  with  them  the 
honors  of  the  day.  "Eleven  thousand  dollars"  was  said  by  one 
of  them  in  an  agitated  voice,  so  uncertain  and  tremulous  that 
Mr.  Page  for  the  moment  was  uncertain  whether  the  bidder 
meant  it  or  not,  and  then  their  heads  were  laid  together  in  anx- 
ious consultation.  A  number  of  Kentuckians  also  gathered  around 
Mr.  Megibben,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  ring  there  was  a  group  of 
anxious  faces.  With  those  around  him  Mr.  Megibben  made  a 
private  arrangement  for  the  service  of  the  bull  in  case  he  fell  to 
him,  and  to  carry  him  (as  we  afterward  learned)  past  $17,000  be- 
fore surrendering  him.  As  the  group  of  Kentuckians  separated 
Mr.  Megibben  raised  the  bid  to  $12,000,  and  still  the  Englishmen 
consulted.  It  was  evident  they  wanted  the  bull ;  but  the  females 
were  more  valuable,  and  they  were  of  the  opinion  that  if  they  ad- 
vanced the  price  of  him  to  the  point  to  which  the  Kentuckians 
were  prepared  to  go  the  price  of  the  females  might  be  correspond- 
ingly advanced,  and  perhaps  put  altogether  beyond  their  reach. 
Their  minds  were  quickly  made  up  on  this  point,  and  the  3d  Duke 
of  Oneida  was  knocked  off  to  Mr.  Megibben  at  112,000,  the  highest 
price  ever  paid  to  that  moment  for  a  Short-horn.  Then  the  cheers 
rose,  peal  on  peal,  and  the  more  distant  seats  of  the  stand  were 
deserted  and  their  occupants  gathered  closer  to  the  scene  and 
clustered  like  bees  around  the  auctioneer. 

1st  Duchess  of  Oneida  was  then  led  in.  She  was  a  red-and- 
white,  calved  Jan.  24, 1870,  got  by  10th  Duke  of  Thorndale  (28458) 
out  of  8th  Duchess  of  Geneva  by  3d  Lord  of  Oxford  (22200),  and  in 
calf  since  Dec.  10  to  2d  Duke  of  Oneida.  The  Clark  Co.  (Ky.)  com- 
Jbination  started  her  at  once  at  $15,000,  which  Lord  Skelmersdale 
of  England  raised  at  once  to  $30,000,  shutting  out  a  bid  of  $25,000 
proffered  by  Mr.  George  Murray  of  Racine,  Wis.  His  Lordship 
was  evidently  informed  that  the  Clark  County  gentlemen  had 
brought  $60,000  for  the  purpose  of  buying  three,  and  his  bid  called 
upon  them  to  place  the  half  of  it  on  the  head  of  a  single  animal. 
This  took  them  by  surprise,  and  to  gain  a  moment's  time  for  re- 
flection they  interposed  an  additional  bid  of  $100,  upon  which  his 
Lordship  promptly  placed  another  $100.  The  Kentuckians  con- 
cluded to  follow  her  no  further,  and  then  Mr.  Kello,  the  represen- 
tative of  Mr.  Davies  of  England,  advanced  the  $200  bid  to  $300, 
which  Lord  S.  promptly  made  $400.  Mr.  Kello  and  Mr.  Brodhead 
(the  representative  of  Mr.  Alexander),  who  was  quietly  smoking 
in  the  rear  of  the  English  party,  which  by  this  time  had  gathered 
inside  the  fence,  bid  $500  simultaneously,  and  $30,600  was  his  Lord- 
ship's response.  All  were  now  done  and  she  was  quickly  knocked 


THE    SENSATION   OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        447 

off  to  him  on  this  bid.  Considering  her  age  and  that  she  is  almost 
at  the  calving  she  was  one  of  the  best  bargains  of  all  the  Duch- 
esses. Thirty  thousand  dollars !  it  seemed  incredible,  and  for  a 
few  moments  none  could  realize  it ;  but  in  a  short  time  it  seemed 
to  break  upon  the  minds  of  all  and  such  a  scene  of  excitement  was 
never  witnessed  before.  Men  shouted  themselves  hoarse  and  hats 
were  waved  and  flung  wildly  into  the  air  on  all  sides,  and  several 
minutes  elapsed  before  order  could  be  restored  and  the  ring 
cleared  for  the  entrance  of  her  calf,  the 

7th  Duchess  of  Oneida,  a  red-and- white,  calved  Aug.  1, 1872,  by 
2d  Duke  of  Oneida  9926  out  of  1st  Duchess  of  Oneida  by  10th  Duke 
of  Thorndale  (28458).  The  audience  began  to  feel  the  reaction 
which  follows  every  unusual  excitement  and  to  repent  of  such  ex- 
treme figures.  She  was  led  around  the  ring  and  not  a  bid;  the 
contestants  eyeing  each  other  from  all  sides,  as  if  striving  to 
master  each  other's  intentions.  Finally  Col.  King  started  her  at 
$5,000  and  the  ball  opened— $7,000,  $8,000  by  two,  $10,000  by  two, 
$11,000  by  two,  $12,000  by  two,  followed  in  such  rapid  succession 
that  it  was  impossible  to  see  from  whom  the  bids  came.  "Twelve 
thousand  five  hundred  makes  it  my  bid,"  came  from  Mr.  Brod- 
head,  which  the  Englishmen  in  his  front  promptly  raised  to  $13,- 
000.  From  the  further  side  of  the  ring  Mr.  E.  G.  Bedford  of  Ken- 
tucky interposed  another  $500,  which  the  Englishmen  made  $14,- 
000,  only  to  elicit  an  additional  $500  when  it  came  to  Mr.  Brod- 
head's  turn.  Mr.  Bedford,  who  had  crowded  to  the  front,  now 
saw  between  whom  the  competition  lay  and  shook  his  head,  as  a 
token  that  he  would  not  interfere,  and  $500  bids  followed  until 
the  calf  was  declared  the  property  of  Mr.  Alexander  at  $19,000. 
The  audience,  who  began  to  fear  from  the  sale  of  the  dam  that 
the  English  gentlemen  were  determined  to  have  them  all,  greeted 
Mr.  Brodhead's  victory  with  the  most  rapturous  applause.  The 
next  animal  to  come  under  Mr.  Page's  hammer  was  the 

10th  Duchess  of  Geneva,  a  roan,  calved  May  15,  1867,  got  by  2d 
Duke  of  Geneva  (23752)  out  of  5th  Duchess  of  Geneva  by  Grand 
Duke  of  Oxford  (16184),  in  calf  since  March  80  by  2d  Duke  of 
Oneida.  Col.  Morris  of  New  York  led  off  with  $5,000,  which  Col. 
King  of  Minnesota  raised  to  $10,000.  Mr.  Kello  advanced  the  fig- 
ure to  $15,000  for  Mr.  Da  vies,  and  Mr.  Berwick  for  Earl  Bective 
made  it  $20,000,  when  it  was  very  evident  there  was  to  be  such  a 
trial  of  nerve  as  had  not  before  been  witnessed.  One  of  the  Ken- 
tuckians  bid  $25,000,  and  Col.  King  added  another  $1,000,  which 
Mr.  Berwick  lost  no  time  in  advancing  to  $30,000.  This  bid  Mr. 
Brodhead  advanced  $100,  when  Mr.  Berwick  declared,  "I  am 


448        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

done,"  and  started  to  leave  the  ring.  His  English  friends,  how- 
ever, rallied  him,  and  he  exclaimed  in  an  excited  manner,  "Thirty 
thousand  dollars!  how  much  is  that  in  sterling?"  One  of  them 
pushed  him  again  to  the  front,  exclaiming,  "Buy  her,  and  count  it 
afterward!"  but  not  until  Mr.  Kello  had  taken  advantage  of  his 
excitement  to  raise  the  price  to  $30,500.  Mr.  Berwick  returned 
with  $31,000,  Mr  Kello  with  $100,  which  Mr.  Berwick  raised  to 
$500.  with  no  other  effect  than  to  bring  from  his  opponent  a  bid  of 
$32,000,  Mr.  Berwick  seemed  to  be  nettled  by  Mr.  Kello's  undis- 
turbed manner  and  added  another  $1,000,  making  $33,000;  and  Mr. 
Kello,  not  at  all  dashed,  added  $500  more  without  delay,  and  then 
Mr.  Berwick  advanced  it  to  $34,000;  "and  $500,"  was  Mr.  Kello's 
response.  Mr.  Berwick  put  on  enough  to  make  $35,000,  and  Mr. 
Kello's  flag  and  the  auctioneer's  hammer  came  down.  The  Amer- 
icans, who  had  not  made  a  bid  after  the  $26,000  and  were  aware 
that  Mr.  Kello  had  not  beeii  permitted  to  become  a  member  of  the 
English  party,  watched  this  contest  between  the  two  English  in- 
terests with  no  little  concern;  and  his  opponents,  although  evi- 
dently feeling  they  had  paid  dear  for  the  victory,  were  in  high 
glee  that  they  had  won  it.  Of  course  the  price,  $35,000,  would 
never  be  equaled  again,  arid  the  audience  gave  itself  up  once  more 
to  various  expressions  of  astonishment.  The  entrance  to  the  ring 
of  the 

8th  Duchess  of  Oneida  served  to  restore  order.  Another  roan 
she  proved  to  be,  calved  Nov.  18, 1872,  got  by  the  4th  Duke  of 
Geneva  7931  out  of  10th  Duchess  of  Geneva  by  2d  Duke  of  Geneva 
(23752).  She  was  started  at  $5,000  and  advanced  rapidly  to  $14,- 
000.  Between  this  and  $15,000  the  bids  were  quick  but  small,  but 
she  finally  passed  this  point,  and  was  sold  to  Mr.  Berwick  for 
Earl  Bective  at  $15,300.  Then  came  the 

13th  Duchess  of  Thorndale,  red,  calved  Feb.  25,  1867,  got  by 
10th  Duke  of  Thorndale  (28458)  out  of  10th  Duchess  of  Thorndale 
by  2d  Grand  Duke  (12961) ,  served  July  8  by  4th  Duke  of  Oneida. 
She,  too,  was  started  at  $5,000  by  Col.  Morris,  which  was  doubled 
by  Col.  King.  Mr  A.  B.  Conger  of  New  York  added  another 
$1,000,  and  $1,000  bids  followed  quickly  until  she  was  declared  to 
be  the  property  of  Mr.  Conger  at  $15,000.  Then  came  the 

4th  Duchess  of  Oneida,  red,  calved  Jan.  17,  1872,  got  by  4th 
Duke  of  Geneva  7931  out  of  13th  Duchess  of  Thorndale  by  10th 
Duke  of  Thorndale  (28458) .  She  was  started  by  the  English  party 
and  ran  up  in  two  or  three  bids  to  $10,000,  and  a  few  $500  bids  sent 
her  up  to  $13,000,  which  several  gentlemen  raised  to  $13,500,  and 
Mr.  George  Murray  made  it  $14,000  to  prevent  dispute.  Mr.  Brod- 


THE    SENSATION   OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        449 

head  then  signified  his  willingness  to  contend  for  her  by  advanc- 
ing her  $500  more,  and  Mr.  E.  G.  Bedford  advanced  the  figure  to 
$15,000;  and  here  it  seemed  as  if  the  battle  was  over,  for  Mr. 
Brodhead  came  back  with  only  $100.  Mr.  Bedford  responded 
with  another  $100,  Mr.  Brodhead  made  it  $300.  At  this  point  Mr. 
Holford  of  England,  considering  the  Americans  had  about  got 
through,  entered  the.  lists  with  a  $200  bid,  and  she  stood  at  $15,- 
500.  Mr.  Brodhead  greeted  his  new  competitor  with  an  addi- 
tional $500  bid,  to  which  the  Englishman  responded  with  a  $1,000, 
making  it  $17,000.  Mr.  Brodhead  promptly  interposed  another 
$100,  and  the  Englishman,  adopting  the  same  tactics,  bid  $100 
more,  and  she  climbed  up  slowly,  $100  at  a  time,  until  Mr.  Brod- 
head had  bid  $17,600,  when  Mr.  Holford,  as  if  hoping  to  shake  off 
the  Kentuckian,  bid  sharply  $18,000.  And  to  show  that  he  could 
not  be  bluffed  by  that  game  Mr.  Brodhead  added  promptly  an- 
other $1,000.  Prom  $19,000  to  $21,000  the  bids  were  $100  each  in 
most  cases,  and  when  that  point  was  reached  Mr.  Holford,  seeing 
the  Kentuckian  was  in  no  measure  disturbed,  dropped  out  of  the 
contest,  and  Mr.  E.  G.  Bedford  came  forward,  just  as  she  was 
about  to  be  knocked  off,  with  a  $500  bid,  Mr.  Brodhead  respond- 
ing with  a  similar  amount,  and  $500  more  was  bid  by  Mr.  Megib- 
ben,  the  gentleman  who  had  purchased  the  bull,  and  Mr.  Brod- 
head made  it  $23,000,  and,  with  $500  jumps,  she  advanced  to  $25,- 
000,  as  Mr.  Bedford's  bid.  Mr.  Brodhead  then  discovering  that 
it  was  one  of  his  Kentucky  neighbors  who  was  bidding  against 
him  declined  to  go  farther,  and  she  was  knocked  off  at  $25,000  to 
Messrs.  E.  G.  Bedford  and  T.  J.  Megibben  of  Kentucky.  The  an- 
nouncement that  she  was  to  remain  in  this  country  again  made 
the  audience  extremely  demonstrative,  but  when  the 

8th  Duchess  of  Geneva  was  led  into  the  ring  a  tolerable  degree 
of  silence  and  order  was  restored.  She  proved  to  be  a  red-and- 
white,  calved  July  28,  1866 ;  got  by  the  3d  Lord  of  Oxford  (22200) 
out  of  the  1st  Duchess  of  Geneva  by  2d  Grand  Duke  (12961) ; 
served  June  1  by  2d  Duke  of  Oneida.  Being  seven  years  old  and 
over,  and  having  produced  nearly  the  full  complement  of  calves 
which  this  family  of  cows  produce  in  this  country,  it  was  not  ex- 
pected that  she  would  sell  so  well  as  some  of  the  others,  and  Mr. 
Kello  doubtless  expected  to  get  her  on  the  first  bid,  when  he 
placed  $10,000  on  her  head.  But  the  other  English  gentlemen  had 
agreed  among  themselves  that  Mr.  Kello  should  not  have  a  Duch- 
ess, and  they  raised  him  at  one  jump  to  $15,000  and  the  audience 
were  at  once  overcome  by  the  excitement.  $16,000  and  $17,000 
were  bid  from  the  stand,  and  then  $20,000  by  two,  one  of  them 
29 


450        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

being  Mr.  Kello,  and  some  one  of  the  English  party  made  it  $25,- 
000.  Mr.  Kello  made  it  $26,000,  and  his  opponents  $30,000.  Mr. 
Kello  added  $1,000  more,  and  his  bid  was  promptly  raised  to  $32,- 
000.  Then  $33,000  came  from  the  stand  (from  either  Col.  King, 
Col.  Morris,  Mr.  Murray,  or  G.  M.  Bedford),  and  was  the  highest 
American  bid,  and  Mr.  Kello  raised  that  to  $34,000,  when  the 
other  Englishmen  made  it  $36,000.  Mr.  Kello  hesitated,  but  re- 
membering his  unsuccessful  contest  for  the  10th  Duchess  of  Ge- 
neva, and  that  his  countrymen  had  combined  to  rule  him  out 
altogether  from  this  much-coveted  family,  he  determined  to  take 
Lord  Skelmersdale's  advice  to  Mr.  Berwick  and  "buy  Tier,"  and 
added  $500,  which  brought  $37,000  from  his  opponents.  "  Thirty- 
eight  thousand,"  said  Mr.  Kello.  Evidently  thinking  that  one  more 
bold  push  would  crowd  Kello  from  the  course  one  of  them  bid 
forty  thousand  dollars!  For  a  moment  Mr.  Kello  faltered,  but  finally 
added  $100.  Here  she  seemed  likely  to  go,  but  Mr.  Berwick  added 
$100  more.  "  Forty  thousand  three  hundred  dollars,  just  in  time,  from 
Mr.  Kello."  The  excitement  was  now  so  intense  that  every  indi- 
vidual in  that  vast  throng  seemed  to  hold  .his  breath ;  the  silence 
was  absolutely  oppressive,  and  broken  only  by  the  words  of  the 
auctioneer  as  he  slowly  repeated:  "Forty — thousand — three — 
hundred  —  dollars  —  Are  —  you — all — done  —gentlemen? "  Softly 
Simon  Beattie,  with  an  English  order  in  his  pocket  and  Mr.  Coch- 
rane  at  his  back,  ventured  another  $100.  "Forty  thousand  four 
hundred;  are  you  all  done  gentlemen?  "  were  the  measured  words 
which  alone  broke  the  deathly  silence.  Reluctant  to  go  farther, 
still  more  reluctant  to  yield,  Mr.  Kello  stood  like  a  statue,  while 
every  eye  was  resting  upon  him,  and  finally  added  $50  more. 
"Five  hundred,"  said  Berwick,  in  a  sharp,  impatient  tone,  as  if 
anxious  to  end  in  some  way  the  terrible  suspense.  "Forty  thou- 
sand five  hundred  dollars;  are  you  all  done?  Once!  Twice!  Six 
hundred,  and  in  time,"  and  she  was  knocked  off  to  Mr.  Kello  for  R. 
Pavin  Da  vies  of  England.  One  long  breath,  and  then  the  cheers 
went  up,  and  the  thousands-  there  seemed  fairly  beside'  them- 
selves, and  the  extravagant  things  which  were  said  and  done 
would  fill  a  volume.  A  few  minutes  were  given  to  allow  people 
to  recover  their  senses,  and  then  the 

10th  Duchess  of  Oneida  was  led  in — a  last  spring's  calf  (dropped 
in  April),  red-and- white,  by  the  2d  Duke  of  Oneida  out  of  8th 
Duchess  of  Geneva  by  3d  Lord  Oxford  (22200) .  Before  order  was 
restored  Col.  Morris  of  New  York  started  her  at  $5,000.  Col.  King 
of  Minnesota,  who  sat  beside  him,  made  it  $10,000 ;  $11,000  and  $12,- 
000  were  bid,  when  George  M.  Bedford  of  Kentucky  from  the  seat 


THE    SENSATION    OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        451 

behind  put  her  at  $15,000.  Mr.  Richard  Gibson,  who  had  hurried 
home  from  England  to  attend  this  sale  with  an  order  in  his  pocket, 
added  $2,000  more,  and  then  Mr.  Brodhead,  who  desired  her  to 
grace  the  blue  grass  at  Woodburn,  placed  her  at  $18,000,  and  Mr. 
Gibson  put  her  at  once  to  $20,000.  But  this  was  a  game  at  which 
two  could  play,  and  Mr.  Brodhead  advanced  the  figure  to  $22,000, 
and  Mr.  Gibson  went  $2,000  better  still.  Twenty-five  thousand, 
even  money,  seemed  a  point  hard  to  pass,  and  Mr.  Brodhead,  evi- 
dently thinking  Mr.  Gibson  would  not  get  over  that  limit,  made 
the  bid.  Mr.  Gibson,  however,  had  another  thousand,  and  Mr. 
Brodhead  was  compelled  to  pay  $27,000  before  he  secured  her. 
The  contest  was  a  short  one,  and  the  announcement  that  the  Eng- 
lishmen had  again  failed  to  capture  a  Duchess  provoked  the  wild- 
est enthusiasm.  The 

9th  Duchess  of  Oneida,  another  calf  of  the  present  year 
(dropped  March  2) ,  was  next  led  in.  She  proved  to  be  a  roan  by 
3d  Duke  of  Oneida  9926  out  of  12th  Duchess  of  Thorndale  by  6th 
Duke  of  Thorndale  (23794).  She  had  two  outcrosses  in  her  pedi- 
gree, the  Romeo  through  the  6th  Duke  of  Thorndale,  and  the  Im- 
perial Duke  through  her  second  dam,  and  for  that  reason  perhaps, 
and  because  of  the  natural  reaction  from  the  previous  excitement, 
did  not  attract  so  much  attention.  She  was  started  at  $5,000  by 
Col.  King  of  Minnesota  and  knocked  off  to  Mr.  Berwick  for  Earl 
Bective  on  fhe  next  bid— $10,000.  She  was  followed  by  the 

12th  Duchess  of  Thorndale,  roan,  calved  Oct.  13,  1865,  by  6th 
Duke  of  Thorndale  (23794)  out  of  5th  Duchess  of  Thorndale  by  Im- 
perial Duke  (18083),  in  calf  since  April  17  by  2d  Duke  of  Oneida. 
She  had  the  Romeo  and  Imperial  Duke  crosses  in  her  pedigree, 
and  besides  was  eight  years  old  and  her  prime  as  a  breeder  about 
passed,  and  for  this  reason  the  first  bid  was  but  $500.  This  was 
too  cheap,  however,  and  there  was  considerable  competition  lor 
her  developed,  and  finally  at  $5,700  she  was  knocked  off  to  A.  B. 
Conger  of  New  York.  As  she  was  led  out  there  was  led  in  the 

3d  Duchess  of  Oneida,  roan,  calved  March  19, 1871,  by  4th  Duke 
of  Geneva  7931  out  of  8th  Duchess  of  Thorndale  by  3d  Duke  of 
Airdrie  (23717),  through  which  she  gets  the  Lord  George  outcross, 
served  July  3d  by  4th  Duke  of  Oneida.  She  was  started  at  $5,000 
by  Mr.  Duncan  of  Illinois,  which  was  promptly  doubled  by  Col. 
Morris  of  New  York.  Mr.  Duncan  added  $2,000,  Col.  King  $1,000, 
G.  M.  Bedford  $500,  and  Mr.  Murray  of  Racine  bid  $14,000.  Then 
Mr.  Berwick  of  England  bid  $15,000,  to  which  Mr.  Brodhead  added 
$100.  Mr.  Holford-of  England  then  appeared  as  a  competitor,  and 
finally  secured  her  at  $15,600. 


452        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

SUMMARY   OF  HIGHEST  PRICES   AND  AVERAGES. 

8th  Duchess  of  Geneva— R.  Pavin  Da  vies,  England $40,600 

10th  Duchess  of  Geneva— Earl  Bective,  England 35,000 

1st  Duchess  of  Oneida— Lord  Skelmersdale,  England 30,600 

10th  Duchess  of  Oneida— A.  J.  Alexander,  Kentucky 27,000 

4th  Duchess  of  Oneida— E.  G.  Bedford  and  T.  J.  Megibben, 

Kentucky 25,000 

7th  Duchess  of  Oneida— A.  J.  Alexander 19,000 

3d  Duchess  of  Oneida— T.  Holford,  England 15,600 

8th  Duchess  of  Oneida— Earl  Bective 15,300 

13th  Duchess  of  Thorndale— A.  B.  Conger,  New  York 15,000 

9th  Duchess  of  Oneida— Earl  Bective 10,000 

12th  Duchess  of  Thorndale— A .  B.  Conger 5,700 

2d  Duke  of  Oneida— T.  J.  Megibben,  Kentucky 12,000 

4th  Duke  of  Oneida— Ezra  Cornell,  New  York 7,600 

7th  Duke  of  Oneida— A.  W.  Griswold,  Vermont 4,000 

11  females*  sold  for $238,800;  an  average  of $21,709 

3  bulls  sold  for 23,600 ;  an  average  of 7,866 

14  Duchesses  sold  for  ....  262,400 ;  an  average  of 18,742 

Countess  of  Oxford— A.  B.  Conger $9,100 

12th  Lady  of  Oxford— T.  Holford 7,000 

2d  Maid  of  Oxford— A.  W.  Griswold 6,000 

12th  Maid  of  Oxford— Col.  L.  G.  Morris,  New  York 6,000 

10th  Earl  of  Oxford— A.  B.  Cornell,  New  York 2,500 

2d  Countess  of  Oxford— A.  W.  Griswold 2,100 

6th  Lord  of  Oxford— Simon  Beattie 1,300 

3d  Maid  of  Oxford— Warnock  &  Megibben 1,000 

6  femalest  sold  for $31,200 ;  an  average  of $5,200 

2  bulls  sold  for 3,800 ;  an  average  of 1,900 

8  Oxfords  sold  for 35,000;  an  average  of 4,375 

Lady  Knightley  3d— Col.  L.  G.  Morris $5,000 

Lady  Knightley  4th— A.  W.  Griswold 4,000 

Lady  Knightley  2d— E.  K.  Thomas,  Kentucky 3,100 

Lady  Bates  4th— E.  G.  Bedford 3,250 

Lady  Bates  6th— George  M.  Bedford 2,300 

Lady  Bates  7th— A.  B.  Cornell 1,600 

Lady  Worcester  5th  (Wild  Eyes)— T.  Holford 3,100 

•This  is  exclusive  of  the  8th  Duchess  of  Thorndale,  that  was  sold  as 
barren  to  C.  F.  Wadsworth  of  New  York  at  $150. 

t Exclusive  of  7th  Lady  of  Oxford,  sold  as  doubtful  breeder  to  Ezra 
Cornell  at  $400 


THE    SENSATION   OF    SEVENTY-THREE.         453 

Lady  Worcester  4th  (Wild  Eyes)— T.  Holford 3,000 

Atlantic  Gwynne— Lord  Skelmersdale 2,000 

Miss  Gwynne— Col.  William  S.  King 1,700 

Brenda  (Bloom)— Col.  L.  G.  Morris 2,500 

Berlinda  (Bloom)— Col.  L.  G.  Morris 2,800 

Bloom  4th  (Bloom)— A.  B.  Cornell 1,000 

Beauty's  Pride  (Foggathorpe)— A.  W.  Gris wold 1,725 

Baron  Oxford's  Beauty  (Foggathorpe)— Bush  &  Hampton, 

Kentucky 1,500 

Cherry  Constance  2d— T.  J.  Megibben" 1,725 

Cherry  Constance— Col.  King 1,100 

Peri  4th-Col.  King 1,700 

Peri  5th— Col.  King 1,300 

Moselle  (Mazurka)— A.  W.  Griswold 1,425 

Rosamond  10th— W.  R.  Duncan,  Illinois 2,050 

Victoria  7th— A.  W.  Griswold 1,525 

Water  Lily— Bush  &  Hampton 3 ,125 

Roan  Duchess  3d— George  M.  Bedford 1,025 

92  females  sold  for $350,775 ;  an  average  of .  $3,813 

17  bulls  sold  for 31,215 ;  an  average  of 1,836 

109  animals  sold  for 381,990 ;  an  average  of 8,504 

Hello's  mistake. — After  the  sale  it  developed 
that  the  agent  of  Mr.  Davies  had  made  an  error 
in  estimating  American  currency  while  bidding 
the  8th  Duchess  of  Geneva  up  to  $40,600.  Da- 
vies,  while  not  disavowing  his  agent's  act, 
cabled  Mr.  Campbell  to  resell  the  cow  and  he 
would  adjust  the*  difference  between  such  price 
as  might  be  received  and  the  price  bid  by  Kello. 
Campbell  wrote  to  Col.  L.  G.  Morris  stating  the 
facts  and  asked  him  to  make  an  offer  on  the 
cow.  Morris  replied  that  he  was  willing  to 
take  her  at  the  price  made  by  her  daughter  at 
the  sale,  viz.:  $30,600,  and  the  offer  was  ac- 
cepted. Meantime  Davies  was  forming  a  syn- 
dicate in  England  to  take  the  cow  at  the  $40,  ~ 


454        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

600  bid,  and  finally  cabled:  "Don't  sell  the  cow. 
Have  arranged  to  take  her."  This  arrived  too 
late,  however,  as  the  trade  with  Col.  Morris  had 
been  closed.  The  cow,  being  forward  in  calf, 
was  left  at  Mr.  Campbell's  farm  until  parturi- 
tion should  take  place.  A  few  days  before  her 
time  she  dropped  a  fully-developed  dead  heifer 
calf,  and  soon  thereafter  the  cow  herself  died, 
all  efforts  to  save  her  proving  fruitless.*  Mr. 
Davies  then  sent  a  bill  of  exchange  for  $5,000 
to  Mr.  Campbell,  which  was  handed  over  to 
Col.  Morris,  thus  alleviating  to  that  extent  his 
lamentable  loss.  Morris  had  no  thought  of 
buying  a  Duchess  before  the  sale,  but  as  the 
bidding  progressed  and  the  "plums"  seemed 
falling  steadily  to  the  English  party,  Samuel 
Thorne  remarked  to  Col.  Morris:  "It  is  a  pity 
there  is  no  American  Gunter  here."  This  was 
an  allusion  to  the  first  contest  for  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Duchesses  at  the  Tortworth  sale  in 
England  in  1853,  as  noted  on  page  242.  Upon 
that  occasion  Gunter  had  driven  out  to  Earl 
Ducie's  without  the  slightest  idea  of  becoming 
a  bidder,  but  in  response  to  an  appeal  to  the 
"patriotism"  of  the  large  crowd  of  Englishmen 
present  to  prevent  the  capture  of  the  tribe 
bodily  by  the  Americans  he  entered  the  lists. 

*It  has  been  said  by  those  familiar  with  the  facts  that  the  8th  Duchess 
was  literally  done  to  her  death  by  an  ignorant  Irish  employe  of  Mr.  Camp- 
bell's. She  developed  at  parturition  a  case  of  false  presentation,  with 
which  she  wrestled  for  thirty-six  hours,  while  the  poor  beast  was  driven 


THE    SENSATION    OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        455 

Sources  of  deterioration.  —  England  was 
more  fortunate  than  America  in  her  Duchess 
investments;  or  it  may  be  nearer  the  truth 
to  say  that  in  the  hands  of  English  herds- 
men the  cattle  were  handled  with  better  judg- 
ment. The  English  purchases  were  shipped 
late  in  the  autumn  of  1873.  Along  with  the 
Campbell  cattle  went  five  Princesses,  bought 
for  account  of  E.  H.  Cheney.  The  $35,000  10th 
Duchess  of  Geneva  produced  in  the  hands  of 
Earl  Bective  the  bull  Duke  of  Underley  (33745), 
that  became  a  sire  of  great  renown.  The  Duch- 
esses that  remained  in  America  failed  to  meet 
the  expectations  of  their  buyers,  and  through 
deaths  and  failures  to  breed  the  line  became 
extinct  on  this  side  the  Atlantic  within  ten 
years.  That  incestuous  or  long-continued  close 
breeding  tends  to  impairment  of  vigor  and  in- 
fertility does  not  admit  of  doubt.  The  Sheldon 
Duchesses  certainly  had  not  proved,  as  a  rule, 
either  fruitful  or  long-lived  in  Mr.  Campbell's 
hands.  That  fact  is  shown  by  the  compara- 
tively small  number  of  females  in  the  herd  at 
the  time  of  the  dispersion.  Six  of  the  twelve 
bought  in  1869  and  1870  had  disappeared  be- 

up  and  down  the  road  during  her  distress  "to  make  her  calve  aisyl"  It  is 
also  related  that  one  of  Mr.  Alexander's  purchases  was  driven  to  A.  Ben- 
ick'a  by  a  colored  hand  on  horseback,  to  be  bred  to  the  4th  Duke  of  Geneva. 
At  New  York  Mills  the  Duchess  would  have  ridden  and  her  attendant 
walked.  This  cow  arrived  at  Renick's  overcome  by  the  heat,  was  turned 
cut  in  pasture,  and  a  thunder-shower  at  nig-ht  completed  the  job.  Com- 
menting1 upon  this  incident  and  contrasting- it  with  the  treatment  given  to 
hia  pets  at,  their  York  State  home  Gibson  remarks:  "The  nigger  lived." 


456        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

fore  the  sale  of  1873,  leaving  no  offspring  in 
the  herd.  It  has  been  commonly  claimed  that 
tuberculosis  was  the  cause  of  this  and  the  sub- 
sequent mortality  and  lack  of  fecundity,  but  it 
has,  perhaps,  not  been  generally  known  that 
every  cow  and  calf  at  New  York  Mills  had 
contracted  from  the  English  importation  of 
1870  one  of  the  most  aggravating  of  all  bovine 
plagues,  foot-and-mouth  disease,  which  scourge 
during  the  years  1867  and  1868  had  so  sorely 
tried  the  courage  of  Mr.  Booth  and  others  in 
Great  Britain.  The  only  two  beasts  upon  the 
farm  that  escaped  attack  were  the  bulls  4th 
Duke  of  Geneva  and  Royal  Briton.  A  frame 
that  had  been  used  for  shoeing  oxen  was  pro- 
cured from  a  blacksmith  away  in  the  woods  of 
Oneida  County  and  each  animal  had  its  feet 
dressed  daily;  even  the  cows  that  were  heavy 
in  calf  being  subjected  to  this  treatment. 
Aside  from  the  Hillhurst  people,  who  were 
going  through  the  same  ordeal,  no  one  knew 
at  the  time  of  this  difficulty.  Linseed-meal 
gruel  was  provided,  and  as. a  result  of  care^ 
f  ul  nursing  no  deaths  occurred.  Like  la  grippe 
in  the  human  subject,  foot-and-mouth  disease 
in  cattle  is  chiefly  to  be  dreaded  for  its  after 
effects.  It  will  be  recalled  that  during  one 
season  (probably  1870)  after  the  disease  had 
been  prevalent  at  Warlaby  Mr.  Booth  raised 
but  one  heifer  calf.  To  this  cause,  therefore, 


THE    SENSATION    OF    SEVENTY-THREE.        457 

Mr.  Gibson  attributes  most  of  the  troubles  of 
the  New  York  Mills  Duchesses  after  his  con- 
nection with  the  herd  ceased.* 

4th  Duke  of  Geneva. — As  the  chief  stock 
bull  in  service  at  New  York  Mills  this  bull  oc- 
cupied a  commanding  position  in  the  minds  of 
those  who  were  following  the  Bates  colors. 
Through  the  instrumentality  of  Ben  F.  Van- 
meter  of  Clark  Co.,  Ky.,  he  was  bought  in  the 
spring  of  1873  for  the  joint  account  of  himself 
and  Abram  Renick  at  $6,000.  He  weighed  at 
that  time  about  2,000  Ibs.  Mr.  Wright,  herds- 
man for  Mr.  Alexander,  had  looked  at  him  as  a 
yearling  with  a  view  toward  securing  him  for 
Woodburn,  but  left  him  on  account  of  his 
showing  at  that  time  a  defect  behind  the 
shoulder.  He  improved  in  that  respect,  how- 
ever, and  is  generally  credited  with  having 
proved  a  great  success  in  Kentucky,  to  which 

*  The  history  of  this  herd  reads  like  a  romance.  The  fight  against  fate  at 
first,  the  importation  of  the  Booths,  the  first  purchase  of  half  the  Geneva 
herd,  the  compulsory  acquirement  of  the  second  and  the  final  dispersion 
were  all  the  outcome  of  peculiar  circumstances.  The  climax  was  a  success, 
but  that  success  was  not  commanded  by  superior  knowledge  nor  sagacity, 
but  simply  caused  by  a  fortuitous  sequence  of  favorable  events — all  having 
a  bearing.  Old  Weehawken,  the  success  as  sires  of  American  Duchess 
bulls  in  England,  the  extinction  of  the  pure  Duchess  line  there,  the  con. 
stant  refusal  to  price  one,  England's  competition  in  the  sale-ring,  and  a 
favorable  time,  all  conspired  to  bring  about  the  astounding  result.  Two 
months  later  we  were  in  the  throes  of  financial  trouble.  The  gratuitous 
advertising  through  controversy  in  England,  and  above  all  the  tact  and  skill 
of  the  auctioneer,  were  also  important  factors. 

"Are you  satisfied,  Mr.  Campbell,  100  head  of  cattle  can  be  sold  in  an 
afternoon?  "  asked  the  auctioneer  after  it  was  all  over.  "  I  am  aware  it  has 
been  done,  sir,"  rejoined  Mr.  Campbell;  and  the  auctioneer's  fee  was  two 
black-nosed  Victorias  that  were  not  worthy  to  be  put  in  the  sale!— Richard 
Gibson  in  "Breeder's  Gazette" 


458        A    HISTORY   OP   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

State  he  was  taken  May  1,  1873.  He  was  let 
to  forty  cows  from  other  herds  at  a  service  fee 
of  $150  each  within  a  year.  Cows  were  turned 
away  during  the  following  year  after  services 
for  twenty  had  been  arranged  at  $250  each. 
After  the  New  York  Mills  sale  Lord  Skelmers- 
dale  (afterward  Earl  of  Latham)  visited  Ken- 
tucky and  endeavored  to  buy  the  4th  Duke  of 
Geneva,  but  could  get  no  price  upon  him,  al- 
though intimating  that  he  was  willing  to  give 
$16,000. 

English  sales  of  1873.— At  Cheney's  sale  in 
July  thirty-five  head  averaged  £294,  14th  Lady 
of  Oxford  making  905  guineas  from  Earl  Bec- 
tive, 12th  Duchess  of  Geneva  935  guineas  from 
Sir  Wilfred  Lawson,  3d  Duke  of  Gloster  820 
guineas  from  Earl  Bective,  the  Gwynne  heifer 
Geneva's  Minstrel  600  guineas  from  J.  P.  Fos- 
ter, and  an  American-bred  Princess  cow  (Lady 
Sale  of  Putney)  470  guineas  from  Earl  Bective. 
At  Lord  Penrhyn's  sale  in  May  forty-one  head 
averaged  £210,  the  highest  prices  being  755 
guineas  for  Cherry  Duchess  14th  to  Earl  Bec- 
tive, 550  guineas  for  Waterloo  33d  to  Lord 
Skelmersdale,  500  guineas  for  Waterloo  30th 
to  F.  Leney,  and  505  guineas  for  Cherry  Duch- 
ess 20th  to  C.  A.  Barnes.  At  the  dispersion  of 
the  famous  herd  of  Col.  Towneley  forty  head 
averaged  £126,  the  top  being  800  guineas  for 
6th  Maid  of  Oxford. 


14TH  DUKE  OF  THORNDALE  (28459)  AT  13  MONTHS. 
Sold  for  $17,900. 


4TH  DUKE  OF  GENEVA  (30957)  AT  THREE  YEARS. 
Used  at  New  York  Mills  and  on  Renuk  Hose  of  Sharons. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


A  GOLDEN  AGE. 

The  Campbell  sale  fairly  electrified  the 
breeding  fraternity  on  both  sides  the  Atlan- 
tic, and  although  followed  by  a  period  of 
financial  disturbance,  yet  during  the  years 
immediately  succeeding  an  enormous  business 
was  done  in  Short-horns  at  both  public  sale 
and  private  treaty.  The  Central  West  still 
busied  itself  with  the  fairs,  and  having  the 
requirements  of  the  ring  steadily  in  view  af- 
forded a  strong  market  for  show  stock  as  well 
as  for  animals  of  the  prevailing  fashionable 
blood.* 

Spring  sales  of  1874. — The  great  show  herds 
of  the  West  now  depended  very  largely  on  Can- 
adian importations  for  their  heaviest  "timber." 
Stock  of  the  high-styled,  " rangy"  type  could 

*  Writing1  of  the  situation  in  the  fall  of  1873  John  Thornton  said :  "A 
slight  reaction  in  favor  of  not  breeding1  from  '  pure '  strains  was  noticeable 
during  the  autumn.  Close  in-and-in  breeding  is  doubtless  the  method 
whereby  many  of  our  finest  animals  are  produced,  as  it  is  also  the  cause  of 
delicacy  and  decay.  The  judicious  blending  of  sound  tribes  must  naturally 
result  in  the  perfection  of  form  and  Quality,  to  which  fair  milking  proper- 
ties should  also  be  added.  The  combination  of  milk  with  the  feeding  qual- 
ities and  graceful  beauty  of  the  Short-horn  has  been  the  cause  of  its  su- 
premacy, but  if  the  milking  properties  are  reduced  the  Short-horn  is 
brought  to  a  level  with  other  breeds,  and  its  value  consequently  depre- 
ciated." 

(459) 


460         A  HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

no  longer  win.  Mr.  Cochrane  had  fitted  out 
Col.  King  with  his  famous  herd,  and  other 
champions  had  found  their  way  into  the 
West  from  the  Dominion.  American  breeders 
were  frequent  visitors  in  Canada  in  these  days 
in  quest  of  show  stock.  It  is  related  that  a 
Western  buyer,  whose  ambition  exceeded  his 
judgment,  after  examining  the  stock  of  Simon 
Beattie  and  James  1.  Davidson  in  quest  of  a 
show  cow,  was  advised  to  look  at  an  animal 
then  in  the  hands  of  a  neighbor,  which  he  was 
assured  could  be  bought  for  $250.  After  start- 
ing away  the  prospective  buyer  came  back  and 
gravely  asked  Mr.  Davidson  if  he  thought  the 
cow  in  question  was  as  good  as  Rosedale.  "A 
coo  as  gude  as  Rosedale  for  $250!"  exclaimed 
the  old  Scotchman  in  amazement.  *'Weel, 
mon,  if  that's  a'  ye  ken  aboot  coos  ye  better 
gang  hame  where  ye  came  from."  Those 
Americans,  however,  who  attended  Simon 
Beattie's  sale  in  the  early  spring  of  1874  were 
of  a  different  class.  They  did  not  expect  to 
get  Rosedales  at  the  price  of  common  cows, 
for  it  was  here  that  George  Murray  of  Racine, 
Wis.,  bought  the  grand  roan  three-year-old 
show  heifer  imp.  Maid  of  Honor,  of  Game's 
breeding,  at  $2,600,  and  the  mixed-bred  imp. 
Lady  Gunter  at  $2,000.  C.  C.  Parks  bought  the 
roan  heifer  Malmsey,  also  of  Game  breeding, 
at  $3,100.  Gen.  Sol.  Meredith  took  Rose  of  Ra- 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  461 

cine,  a  Bates-topped  Rosabella  by  Bridegroom, 
and  her  heifer  calf  at  $3,420,  and  the  grand 
roan   Ruberta,  another  Garne-bred  cow,  im- 
ported by  William  Miller  in  1869,  at  $1,275. 
On  April  8  at  John  SnelPs  sale  at  Edmonton, 
Out.,  Messrs.  Day  of  Iowa  paid  $1,225  for  the 
Scotch-bred  imp.  Golden  Drop  1st,  then  eight 
years  old,  and  $1,005  for  the  roan  yearling 
heifer  Golden  Circle.    On  the  following  day  at 
Hugh  Thompson's  sale  John  Collard  of  Des 
Moines,  la.,  gave  $1,015  for  imp.  Raspberry, 
and  J.  R.  Craig  $1,000  for  the  two-year-old 
Golden  Drop  3d;  the  six-year-old  Golden  Drop 
2d  falling  to  Richard  Gibson's  bidding  at  $1,005. 
About  this  date  Mr.  Rigdon  Huston  of  Blan- 
dinsville,  111.,  sold  the  Kentucky-bred  Galatea 
show  bull  Bourbon  Star  11425  to  M.  W.  Fall  of 
Eddyville,  la.,  for  $1,000.    May  13  the  Muirkirk 
Herd  of  C.  E.  Coffin  was  sold  by  John  R.  Page 
in  Maryland,  the  highest  price  paid  being  $1,425 
by  Hon.  T.  J.  Megibben  for  Muirkirk  Gwynne. 
Leslie  Combs  Jr.  of  Kentucky  bought  Water 
Nymph  at  $1,200,  and  T.  S.  Cooper  of  Pennsyl- 
vania paid  $1,060  for  Portulacca. 

The  Glen  Flora  sale  at  Waukegan  on  May  20 
resulted  in  an  average  of  $900  on  fifty-five  fe- 
males, Col.  Judy  wielding  the  hammer.  Imp. 
Jubilee  Gwynne  was  taken  by  Stephen  Dunlap 
at  $2,500  and  Melody  Gwynne  by  C.  F.  Wads- 
worth  of  New  York  at  $1,000.  For  Melody 


462         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Grwynne  6th  Elliott  &  Kent  of  Iowa  gave 
11,600.  The  same  firm  bought  Mazurka  Duch- 
ess 2d  for  $1,520  and  for  another  Mazurka  B. 
B.  Groom  of  Kentucky  gave  $1,350.  Gen.  C.  E. 
Lippincott  purchased  imp.  Malmsley  at  $1,500 
and  Irene  llth  at  $1,000.  Mr.  Megibben  took 
Oxford  Princess  at  $1,500  and  5th  Miss  Wiley 
of  Glen  Flora  at  $1,250,  and  Emory  Cobb  gave 
$1,425  for  4th  Louan  of  Glen  Flora.  J.  H. 
Kissinger  paid  liberally  for  several  cows  of  the 
Louan  family,  $1,325  for  one  and  $1,000  for  an- 
other. Rigdon  Huston  took  7th  Louan  of  Glen 
Flora  at  $1,500  and  A  very  &  Murphy  of  Detroit 
2d  Louan  at  $1,825.  John  Niccolls  of  Bloom- 
ington,  111.,  was  also  a  free  buyer,  paying  up  to 
$1,825  for  Victoria  of  Glen  Flora.  James  W. 
Wadsworth  of  New  York  secured  Lydia  Lan- 
guish 2d  at  a  bid  of  $1,000.  For  imp.  Lady 
Oxford  H.  Ludington  of  Milwaukee  gave  $2,350. 
A  feature  of  this  big  sale  was  the  high  average 
of  the  Gwynnes,  eight  averaging  $1,100  each. 

Lyndale  sale  at  Dexter  Park. — Col.  William 
S.  King  made  a  memorable  sale  at  Dexter  Park, 
Chicago,  on  the  following  day,  May  21.  But  one 
specimen  of  the  popular  Bates  Duchess  family 
was  included,  and  in  view  of  this  fact  the  prices 
paid  were  considered  at  that  time  quite  as  ex- 
traordinary as  those  made  at  the  great  sale  at 
New  York  Mills.  A  summary  of  the  highest 
prices  and  averages  is  appended: 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  463 

2d  Duke  of  Hillhurst  12893— George  Bobbins,  London,  Eng.  .114,000 
Lady  Mary  7th  (Princess)— Charles  P.  Wadsworth,  New 

York 5,500 

Lady  Mary  8th— Charles  F.  Wadsworth 5,500 

Lyndale  Wild  Eyes— T.  J.  Megibben 5,000 

Bell  Duchess— James  Wadsworth,  New  York 4,400 

Peri  5th— James  Wadsworth 4,000 

Bell  Duchess  3d— T.  J.  Megibben 3,300 

Peri  4th— T.  J.  Megibben 3,000 

Lady  Mary  5th— Gen.  N.  M.  Curtis,  New  York 3,000 

3d  Malvern  Gwynne— T.  J.  Megibben 3,000 

Miss  Gwynne— A.  W.  Griswold,  Vermont 3,000 

Baron  Hubback  2d— C.  A.  DeGraff,  Minnesota 2,600 

Peri  2d  of  Lyndale— Avery  &  Murphy,  Michigan 2,500 

True  Blue  (bull)— P.  A.  Coen,  Illinois 2,240 

Peri  3d— A.  W.  Griswold 2,100 

Hubback's  Garland— William  Sodowsky,  Illinois 2,100 

Garland— T.  J.  Megibben 2,100 

Bell  Duchess  2d— B.  B.  Groom,  Kentucky 2,100 

Miss  Leslie  Napier— C.  A.  DeGraff : 2,015 

Miss  Leslie— C.  A.  DeGraff 2,005 

5th  Lady  Sale  of  Brattleboro— C.  F.  Wadsworth 2,000 

Butterfly's  Gift— Maj.  S.  E.  Ward,  Missouri 1,900 

Gem  of  Lyndale— Maj.  S.  E.  Ward 1,850 

Star  of  Lyndale— S.  E.  Ward 1,850 

2d  Tuberose  of  Brattleboro— T.  J.  Megibben 1,800 

Florence— D.  M.  Flynn,  Iowa 1,700 

Constance  of  Lyndale  2d— A.  W.  Griswold 1,675 

Moselle  6th— A.  W.  Griswold 1,600 

8th  Lady  Sale  of  Brattleboro— C.  F.  Wadsworth 1,600 

Roan  Princess— D.  M.  Flynn 1,600 

Constance  of  Lyndale  3d— John  R.  Craig,  Canada 1,600 

Mazurka  of  Lyndale— S.  Meredith  &  Son,  Indiana 1,525 

9d  Lady  Gwynne— T.  J.  Megibben 1,500 

Oakwood  Gwynne  2d— Gen.  N.  M.  Curtis 1,500 

Mazurka  of  Lyndale  3d— J.  H.  Kissinger,  Missouri 1,475 

Mayflower — E.  L.  Davison,  Kentucky 1,435 

Medora  14th— John  R.  Craig 1,300 

Scottish  Lady— S.  W.  Jacobs,  Iowa 1,275 

June  Flower— J.  G.  Coulter,  Ohio 1,225 

58  females  sold  for $101,615 ;  an  average  of $1,752 

21  bulls  sold  for. 25,375 ;  an  average  of 1,208 

79  animals  sold  for , .  126,990 ;  an  average  of . ..." 1,628 


464        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

The  sale  of  2d  Duke  of  Hillhursfc  to  the  Eng- 
lish bidder  was  not  consummated  on  account 
of  delay  in  making  settlement.  It  is  included 
in  this  report,  however,  for  the  reason  that  the 
sum  of  $13,900  was  bid  in  good  faith  for  the 
bull  by  Hon.  John  Wentworth  of  Chicago.  Mr. 
Wentworth  had  started  the  bidding  at  $12,000. 
The  contest  from  that  point  up  to  $13,000  was 
between  "Long  John"  and  the  Englishman. 
George  Murray  of  Wisconsin  then  entered  the 
competition  and  carried  the  price  to  $13,800. 
A  bid  of  $13,900  was  made  by  Mr.  Wentworth, 
which  was  raised  by  Robbins  to  $14,000.  It 
was  stated  that  Robbins  was  bidding  for  joint 
account  of  Lord  Durimore,  Earl  Bective  and 
Col.  Gunter  of  England,  and  as  the  price  was 
the  largest  ever  made  up  to  that  date  for  a  bull 
of  any  breed  in  any  country  the  result  was 
greeted  with  hearty  cheers.  Robbins  left  for 
Buffalo  the  evening  of  the  sale  for  the  alleged 
purpose  of  drawing  the  funds,  but  on  Saturday 
telegraphed  Col.  King  that  he  must  go  to  New 
York  to  complete  his  arrangements.  Feeling 
that  he  had  given  him  reasonable  time  Col. 
King  wired  in  reply  that  he  did  not  consider 
himself  bound  to  delay  any  longer,  and  that 
the  2d  Duke  would  return  to  Lyndale.  Rob- 
bins  was  a  fraud  pure  and  simple. 

A  noticeable  feature  of  this  sale  was  the 
great  price  made  by  the  Princesses  and  the 


.  A    GOLDEN    AGE.  465 

comparative  lack  of  appreciation  of  the  Booth- 
bred  lots.  Mr.  De  Graff  resold  Baron  Hubback 
2d  after  the  sale  to  B.  Sumner  of  Connecticut. 

Other  Western  events. — At  Cambridge  City, 
Ind.,  on  the  day  following  this  exciting  event 
Gen.  Meredith  &  Son  sold  fifty-three  head  at 
an  average  of  $454,  the  thirty-nine  females 
bringing  $20,985,  an  average  of  $515.  For  imp. 
Royal  Duchess  2d  Hon.  T.  C.  Jones  and  G.  J. 
Hagerty  of  Ohio  gave  $2,000,  and  Avery  & 
Murphy  took  Joan  of  Arc  at  the  same  price. 

J.  H.  Spears  &  Sons  held  a  sale  at  Tallula, 
111.,  on  May  27,  at  which  Gen.  Lippincott  paid 
$5,800  for  Cherub  2d  and  $1,600  for  Duchess  of 
Sutherland  4th.  Several  Sanspareils — then  a 
new  sort  in  the  West — sold  at  high  prices, 
Messrs.  James  N.  Brown's  Sons  of  Berlin,  111., 
paying  $2,250  for  two  females  of  that  family. 
Gen.  Meredith  gave  $1,000  for  Mazurka  20th 
and  J.  H.  Kissinger  $1,025  for  Rosettie  4th. 
The  thirty-four  females  sold  averaged  $630 
and  eleven  bulls  $950.  About  this  date  Mr.  S. 
F.  Lockridge  of  Indiana  bought  the  Booth- 
crossed  Scotch  bull  Lord  Strathallan  from  Mr. 
John  Miller  of  Canada  for  $2,500.  J.  H.  Kis- 
singer disposed  of  forty  head  at  auction  at  an 
average  of  $427.50,  Mr.  Pickrell  paying  $1,675 
for  Bride  15th.  Messrs.  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son 
made  liberal  purchases  upon  this  occasion. 
W.  R.  Duncan's  sale  made  an  average  of  $525 

3D 


466        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

on  twenty-six  head,  George  Otley  giving  $1,500 
for  Rosamond  10th,  P.  A.  Coen  $1,000  for  Ma- 
zurka 34th,  Gen.  Meredith  $1,025  for  Rosa- 
mond 7th  and  J.  H.  Pickrell  $1,500  for  Lady 
Bates.  At  Decatur,  111.,  April  28,  Messrs.  3.  Z. 
&  T.  M.  Taylor  disposed  of  thirteen  females  at 
an  average  of  $843,  including  six  Louans  that 
averaged  $1,399  each,  Louan  6th  of  Poplar 
Farm,  by  Aristocrat  7509,  bringing  $2,110  from 
E.  W.  Miller,  Lula,  111.;  Louan  4th,  by  Baron 
Booth  of  Lancaster,  $1,760  from  John  Niccolls 
of  Bloomington;  Louan  5th  (by  Aristocrat) 
$1,300  from  Claude  Matthews,  and  Louan  3d, 
by  llth  Duke  of  Airdrie,  $1,100  from  Emory 
Cobb. 

Kentucky  summer  sales. — The  Kentucky 
auction  sales  of  1874  were  largely  attended 
and  made  some  big  averages.  At  Hughes  & 
Richardson's  eighty-eight  head  averaged  $581. 
Lady  Bates  3d  fetched  $2,150,  Geneva  Gwynne 
$1,675,  Minna  of  Elkhill  $1,905  and  London 
Duchess  6th  $1,775 — all  to  Kentucky  buyers; 
Candidate's  Duchess  2d,  $1,425,  and  Wilda, 
$1,200,  to  Gen.  Meredith;  Louan  of  Elkhill, 
$1,025,  to  Leslie  Combs;  Louan  5th  of  Elkhill, 
$1,100,  to  J.  H.  Kissinger;  Louan  4th  of  Elk- 
hill,  $1,100,  to  W.  N.  Offutt;  Mazurka  Belle  2d, 
$1,000,  and  Lady  Newham  10th,  $1,050,  to 
Theodore  Bates;  Bertha,  $1,640,  to  Bush  & 
Hampton.  At  E.  L.  Davison's  Gen.  Meredith 


A    GOLDEN    AGE.  467 

paid  $1,725  for  Mazurka  36th  and  $LOOO  for 
Grace  4th.  Walter  Handy  gave  $1,150  for 
Louan  of  Waveland  and  J.  E.  Shelley  of  Illi- 
nois $1,250  for  Mazurka  37th.  At  Warnock  & 
Megibben's  seventy-eight  head  averaged  $457, 
George  M.  Bedford  giving  $1,700  for  Airdrie 
Belle,  Col.  William  E.  Simms  $1,800  for  Rose 
Jackson,  Kirk  &  Cunningham  of  Ohio  $1,550 
for  Cambridge  Rose  3d,  Ed  Thomas  $1,300  for 
Miss  Stonewall  Jackson,  Col.  J.  B.  Taylor  of 
Canada  $1,000  for  Cambridge  Rose  2d,  John 
Niccolls  &  Sons  $1,525  for  3d  Mazurka  of 
Woodlawn,  Abner  Strawn  of  Illinois  $1,735  for 
9th  Duchess  of  Springwood  and  Mr.  Megibben 
$2,475  for  two  females  of  same  family,  etc.  At 
this  sale,  held  July  28,  Mr.  George  W.  Rust, 
editor  of  the  National  Live-Stock  Journal,  was 
the  victim  of  a  murderous  assault,  narrowly 
escaping  assassination.  The  affair  grew  out  of 
charges  made  through  that  paper  in  1873  in 
relation  to  the  pedigree  of  the  famous  Shrop- 
shire show  heifer  Fanny  Forrester. 

Ben  F.  Van  Meter  sold  thirty-four  head  for 
$18,000,  an  average  of  $539.  Abram  Van 
Meter's  eighty-three  head  averaged  $565.  A 
notable  private  sale  in  the  fall  of  this  year 
was  the  transfer  of  four  head  by  David  Selsor 
of  Ohio  to  Mr.  Keyes  of  Wisconsin  for  $4,000, 
and  three  head  from  same  herd  to  an  Ohio 
party  at  $3,000. 


468        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Closing  events  of  1874. — The  great  events 
of  the  autumn  of  1874  were  the  sales  of  E.  G. 
Bedford  and  B.  B.  Groom  in  Kentucky.  At  the 
former  seven  head  of  London  Duchesses  sold 
for  $24,650,  an  average  of  $3,521,  four  being 
bought  by  Kentuckians — C.  M.  Clay,  T.  J.  Me- 
gibben  and  Ben  F.  Bedford — and  three  by  Illi- 
nois breeders,  J.  H.  Spears  taking  two  at 
$2,250  and  $2,000  respectively  and  Gol.  Robert 
Holloway  one  at  $2,700.  The  highest-priced 
one  was  the  $6,000  Loudon  Duchess  9th,  that 
was  bid  off  by  B.  F.  Bedford.  At  this  same 
sale  S.  F.  Lockridge  gave  $1,700  for  Cora  3d, 
E.  L.  Davison  paid  $2,075  for  Cannondale  2d, 
E.  K.  Thomas  $2,325  for  Lady  Bates  4th,  two 
Louans  brought  $2,225,  the  21st  Duke  of  Air- 
drie  $7,000  from  J.  H.  Spears,  Loudon  Duke 
19th  $3,500  from  W.  R.  Duncan  and  Loudon 
Duke  15th  $2,100  from  S.  Meredith  &  Son. 
The  thirty-five  head  averaged  $1,672.  At  the 
Groom  sale  119  head  sold  for  an  average  price 
of  $573,  twenty-two  head  commanding  prices 
ranging  from  $1,000  up  to  $2,550,  the  top  price 
being  paid  by  C.  C.  Childs  of  Independence, 
Mo.,  for  Bell  Duchess  2d. 

No  less  than  2,592  head  of  Short-horns 
passed  through  the  sale-ring  in  America  dur- 
ing 1874,  bringing  $1,004,159,  an  average  of 
$387,  the  great  year's  business  closing  with 
the  private  sale  of  the  2d  Duke  of  *Iillhurst 


A    GOLDEN    AGE.  469 

and  of  the  10th  Duchess  of  Airdrie  and  six  of 
her  descendants  to  Hon.  M.  H.  Cochrane  by 
Col.  William  S.  King  and  Mr.  George  Murray 
at  terms  not  made  public  but  known  to  be 
extraordinary.  The  transfer  of  the  7th  Duke 
of  Oneida  from  A.  W.  Griswold  to  Mr.  A.  J. 
Alexander  of  Woodburn  Farm,  Ky.,  for  $10,000 
has  also  to  be  noted  at  this  time. 

The  public  sales  in  England  of  the  year  1874 
were  sixty-eight,  aggregating  2,165  head,  at  an 
average  of  $323  each,  a  total  sum  of  $702,556, 
being  236  animals  more  than  in  1873,  and  at  an 
increased  price  of  $45  per  head,  yet  lower  by 
$69  each  than  the  American  public-sale  prices. 
The  exceptional  sales  in  England  were  those  of 
Messrs.  Leney  &  Sons,  of  forty-one  head,  at  an 
average  of  $1,458;  Duke  of  Devonshire,  forty- 
three  head,  $1,913;  Earl  Bective,  fifty-five 
head,  $1,816;  E.  H.  Cheney,  twenty-seven 
head,  $2,095— all  of  Bates  blood. 

The  sales  of  1875. — There  seemed  no  abate- 
ment of  public  interest  as  the  trade  of  1875  was 
inaugurated.  As  in  the  previous  year,  the  in- 
itiative was  taken  by  Canada.  John  K.  Craig 
made  a  sale  of  thirty-three  head  at  an  average 
of  $548,  Col.  Robert  Holloway  of  Illinois  lead- 
ing the  bidding  with  $2,600  for  Waterloo  J 
and  $625  for  the  Scotch-bred  Miss  Eamsden 
5th.  Wesley  Warnock  of  Kentucky  took  Peri 
Pink  at  $1,350  and  W.  E.  Simms  of  Kentucky 


470        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HOEN   CATTLE. 

bought  Mystery  at  $1,175.  Ware  &  McGood- 
win  of  Kentucky  secured  Campaspie  3d  for 
$1,000.  A  still  better  sale  was  that  of  Wil- 
liam Miller's,  where  thirty-five  animals  com- 
manded an  average  of  $583.  Col.  Holloway 
was  a  liberal  buyer  upon  this  occasion  also,  se- 
curing Princess  of  Atha  for  $725,  Wave  Duch- 
ess at  $660  and  the  Kinellar-bred  Golden  Drop 
2d  at  $775.  Still  Bates  blood  was  on  top, 
Ware  &  McGoodwin  paying  $3,360  for  Fennel 
Duchess  7th  and  $1,200  for  Fennel  Duchess  of 
Lancaster.  B.  B.  Groom  took  the  Craggs  7th 
Duchess  of  Winfield  at  $805  and  Warnock  the 
Bell-Bates  Duchess  of  Springwood  at  $1,225. 
Birrell  &  Johnston  of  Canada  also  sold  some 
good  cattle  in  this  series,  including  two  Scotch 
Golden  Drops  that  fetched  $850  and  $550  re- 
spectively from  local  buyers.  That  a  lively 
trade  at  full  figures  was  to  characterize  the 
year  in  the  Central  West  was  foreshadowed  by 
the  spring  sales  as  well  as  by  the  private  trans- 
fers. Mr.  Pickrell  received  $1,000  early  in  the 
year  for  the  young  bull  Breastplate  Louanjo, 
by  the  famous  Breastplate  out  of  a  Louan  cow 
by  imp.  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster,  the  buyer 
being  B.  Vantress  of  Maiden,  111.  In  Virginia 
George  W.  Palmer  sold  a  Craggs  cow  to  A.  M. 
Bowman  at  $1,700.  Vol.  IV  of  the  Kentucky 
Short-horn  Record  was  announced  as  ready  for 
delivery  at  $8,  a  price  quite  on  a  parity  with 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  471 

prevailing  values  for  cattle.  In  March  Wil- 
liam Stewart  of  Illinois  held  a  successful  sale, 
at  which  Mr.  R.  H.  Austin  of  Sycamore,  111., 
gave  $1,900  for  1st  Duchess  Louan  and  $1,500 
for  2d  Lady  of  Racine.  N.  P.  Clarke  of  St. 
Cloud,  Minn.,  entered  the  lists  here,  taking 
among  other  lots  Caroline  6th  at  $810.  Dur- 
ing this  same  month  Col.  Holloway  journeyed 
to  Mr.  Cochrane's  and  bought  the  4th  Duke  of 
Hillhurst  for  $7,000,  and  Messrs.  Grimes  and 
Montgomery  of  Ohio  sold  the  3d  Duke  of 
Oneida  to  Ware  &  McGoodwin  of  Kentucky 
for  $12,000. 

Glen  Flora  dispersion. — The  closing  out  of 
the  Glen  Flora  Herd  of  Mr.  C.  C.  Parks  at  Wau- 
kegan,  III.,  in  April  drew  out  a  great  attend- 
ance from  far  and  near  and  resulted  in  an 
average  of  $612  on  122  head  of  cattle.  The 
best  prices  of  the  day  were  as  follows:  $2,500 
for  Peri  of  Fairview  from  Mr.  Megibben; 
$2,000  for  Oxford  Bloom  4th  from  same  buyer; 
$2,000  for  Bright  Eyes  Duchess  2d  from  George 
Otley;  $1,800  for  6th  Duchess  Louan  from  N.  P. 
Clarke  and  $1,600  from  same  buyer  for  Peri's 
Duchess;  $1,500  for  the  bull  Baron  Bates  3d 
11332  from  George  Otley;  $1,325  for  Victoria  of 
Glen  Flora  from  Mr.  Megibben;  $1,200  for  2d 
Rose  of  Racine  from  H.  F.  Brown  of  Minne- 
apolis; $1,225  for  Oxford  Gwynne  5th  from 
William  Miller,  Atha,  Ont.;  $1,850  for  Princess 


472        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

of  Oxford  7th  from  N.  P.  Clarke;  $1,550  for 
Atlantic  Gwynne  2d  from  George  Grimes  of 
Ohio;  $1,200  for  Princess  Gwynne  and  a  like 
sum  for  Oxford  Bloom  from  J.  R.  Shelley  of 
Illinois;  $1,200  for  Jubilee  Gwynne  2d  from 
Mr.  Grimes,  etc.  Large  purchases  were  made 
by  Hon.  William  M.  Smith,  Lexington,  111., 
Albert  Crane,  Durham  Park,  Kan.,  and  many 
others  afterward  prominent  in  the  trade. 

Kissinger's  sale. — This  important  sale  was 
followed  by  another  from  the  herd  of  J.  H. 
Kissinger  of  Missouri,  who  received  an  average 
of  $606  for  forty-one  head.  It  was  here  that 
Ed  lies  gave  $2,200  for-  the  bull  Kissinger's 
Breastplate  17476,  sired  by  old  Breastplate  out 
of  imp.  Primula  by  Falstaff  (21720).  The  same 
buyer  also  took  Mazurka  of  Lin  wood  at  $1,600. 
George  Otley  increased  his  investment  in  high- 
priced  stock  by  paying  $1,180  for  3d  Louan  of 
Linwood  and  $1,650  for  Orphan  Gwynne.  Al- 
bert Crane  bought  Miss  Wiley  of  Linwood  at 
$1,200  and  J.  H.  Spears  &  Son  gave  $1,000  for 
Illustrious  3d. 

Elliott  &  Kent.— This  Iowa  firm  had  been 
liberal  buyers  of  cattle  for  several  years  and 
this  spring  placed  sixty-one  head  on  the  mar- 
ket that  averaged  $559.  The  sensational  event 
of  this  sale  was  the  purchase  of  the  Princess 
cow  4th  Tuberose  of  Brattleboro  by  Col.  Rob- 
ert Holloway  at  $3,500  and  the  high  price 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  473 

brought  by  other  specimens  of  that  famous 
old  family.  W.  E.  Simms  of  Paris,  Ky., 
paid  $1,810  for  2d  Red  Rose  of  Brattleboro. 
George  Grimes  of  Ohio  gave  $1,550  for  13th 
Lady  Sale  of  Brattleboro  and  $1,150  for  39th 
Lady  Sale  of  Putney.  J.  R.  Shelley  took  37th 
Lady  Sale  of  Putney  at  $1,050.  All  these  were 
primarily  descended  from  the  Stephenson  Prin- 
cess tribe,  from  whence  Mr.  Bates  obtained  Bel- 
vedere. At  this  sale  A.  Ludlow  of  Monroe, 
Wis.,  bought  Mazurka  Duchess  2d  at  $1,700 
and  Albert  Crane  took  Louan  5th  of  Elm  Grove 
at  $1,400. 

Spears  and  the  Nelly  Blys. — J.  H.  Spears  & 
Son  made  a  memorable  sale  this  spring,  which 
had  for  its  most  interesting  feature  great  prices 
for  a  family  of  cows  built  up  in  their  herd  from 
a  descendant  of  the  roan  cow  Lady  Elizabeth 
(by  Emperor),  brought  out  from  England  in 
1839  by  the  Fayette  Co.  (Ky.)  Importing  Co. 
and  sold  at  their  sale  for  $660.  These  Nelly 
Blys,  as  they  are  still  called,  were  fine  show 
cattle,  as  well  as  capital  breeders,  and  at  this 
sale  nine  head  of  cows  and  heifers  belonging  to 
it  sold  for  $11,350,  an  average  of  $1,261.  The 
top  price  for  these  was  $1,825,  paid  by  Mrs. 
Kimberly  of  West  Liberty,  la.,  for  Nelly  Bly 
4th.  Most  of  them  were  daughters  of  Gen. 
Grant  4825.  Still  higher  prices  were  made, 
however,  by  a  pair  of  Loudon  Duchesses,  the 


474         A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

13th  and  17th  of  the  line,  the  former,  by  5th 
Duke  of  Geneva,  going  to  S.  W.  Jacobs  of  West 
Liberty,  la.,  at  $3,200,  and  the  latter,  by  21st 
Duke  of  Airdrie,  to  E.  K.  Thomas  of  North 
Middletown,  Ky.,  at  $2,750.  Mr.  E.  C.  Lewis 
paid  $1,600  for  Magenta  2d,  by  Gen.  Grant,  and 
J.  E.  Conover,  Petersburg,  111.,  took  her  dam, 
the  McMillan-bred  Magenta,  by  Plantagenet, 
at  $1,325.  James  N.  Brown's  Sons  of  Grove 
Park,  Sangamon  Co.,  111.,  paid  $1,995  for  High- 
land Lady  2d,  by  Royal  Oakland  9034,  tracing 
to  imp.  Western  Lady,  by  the  celebrated  Grand 
Turk  (12969).  This  cow's  heifer  by  Col.  Towne: 
ley  13691  went  to  Mr.  Conover  at  $1,750.  C.  w! 
Goff  of  Monmouth,  111.,  bought  14th  Louan  of 
Woodlawn,  a  daughter  of  the  Woodburn-bred 
Laudable  5890,  at  $1,650.  Duchess  of  York  9th, 
a  Canadian-bred  roan,  fetched  $1,000  from  Al- 
bert Crane.  The  imported  cow  Lady  High- 
thorn  was  bought  by  Mr.  Conover  at  $1,000. 
The  Cruickshank  cow  Violet's  Forth,  then  in 
her  ninth  year  and  belonging  to  a  family  of 
cattle  practically  unknown  at  that  time  in  the 
West,  went  to  Mrs.  Kimberly  at  $1,000.  The 
21st  Duke  of  Airdrie  was  purchased  by  Gen. 
Lippincott  at  $10,500.  The  forty  head  sold 
brought  an  average  of  $1,163. 

Pickrell's  great  sale.— J.  H.  Pickrell's  sale 
of  twenty-three  head  at  Decatur,  111.,  April  27. 
1875,  at  an  average  of  $1,265  stands  next  to 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  475 

Col.  King's  Dexter  Park  average  of  1874  as  the 
highest  ever  made  in  the  Western  States.  The 
celebrated  show  bull  Breastplate  11431,  for 
which  Mr.  Pickrell  had  paid  $6,000,  was  bought 
by  Mrs.  Kimberly  for  $6,100.  This  bull  was  a 
red,  bred  by  Hon.  M.  H.  Cochrane  from  Star  of 
the  Realm  9150  out  of  Bright  Lady  by  Lord 
Blithe  (22126).  He  was  largely  of  Booth  blood 
and  at  the  shows  of  1872  and  1873  had  won 
over  $1,000  in  cash  prizes.  Some  fine  speci- 
mens of  the  Bedford  Bride  family  and  choice 
show  things  of  the  Louan  sort  brought  "  four 
figures."  A.  E.  Kimberly  paid  $2,850  for  the 
red  cow  Lady  Bride,  by  imp.  Baron  Booth  of 
Lancaster  out  of  Bride  15th  by  Airdrie  2478. 
E.  W.  Miller,  Raymond,  111.,  took  the  splendid 
roan  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster  heifer  Louan 
Hill  5th,  then  three  years  old,  at  $2,000.  Wil- 
liam and  W.  Pickrell  bought  Louan  Hill  4th,  a 
four-year-old  roan,  also  by  Baron  Booth  of  Lan- 
caster, at  $1,925,  and  resold  her  to  Col.  Robert 
Holloway  for  $2,225.  Louan  Hill  3d,  a  red- 
roan  five-year-old  daughter  of  Sweepstakes 
6230,  went  to  L.  B.  Wing  of  Bement,  111.,  at 
$1,225.  Another  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster 
heifer,  Caroline  Cochrane  (out  of  an  llth  Duke, 
of  Airdrie  cow  tracing  to  imp.  Caroline  by  Ar- 
row), was  bought  by  J.  H.  Kissinger  &  Co.  for 
$1,800.  The  red-roan  two-year-old  heifer  Jubi- 
lee Napier  fell  to  the  bidding  of  A.  E.  Kimberly 


476         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

at  $1,600.  She  was  by  imp.  Gen.  Napier  (26239), 
the  Booth  bull  that  Messrs.  Parks  sold  to  Col. 
Stephen  Dunlap  in  1873  for  $5,000  and  bought 
back  in  1874  at  same  price.  The  Caroline,  by 
Dashwood,  heifer  Detura,  another  daughter  of 
Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster,  was  secured  by  J. 
R.  Shelley  at  $1,100.  The  imported  Booth  cow 
Amelia,  bred  by  Messrs.  Dudding,  was  pur- 
chased by  Thomas  Windle,  Lincoln,  111.,  at 
$1,025.  Her  yearling  bull  Royal  Baron  18238, 
by  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster,  was  taken  by 
William  and  W.  Pickrell  at  $1,000. 

At  a  combination  sale  held  at  Bloomington, 
111.,  in  April  Mr.  C.  M.  Niccolls  sold  Princessa 
2d,  a  red  of  Abram  Van  Meter's  breeding,  sired 
by  Airdrie  Duke  5306  out  of  a  Princess  dam,  to 
J.  V.  Grigsby  of  Winchester,  Ky.,  for  $2,000, 
the  same  buyer  taking  Mazurka  of  Lyndale  4th 
at  $1,825.  At  the  same  sale  E.  L.  Davisori  of 
Kentucky  paid  $1,450  for  Oxford  Grwynne. 

Jacobs'  sale  at  West  Liberty. — At  West 
Liberty,  la.,  April  14,  1875,  occurred  the  sale 
of  Mr.  S.  W,  Jacobs,  the  first  ever  held  at  that 
point.  Eighty-three  cattle  averaged  $614,  and 
the  attendance  was  estimated  at  1,500.  This 
was  one  of  the  memorable  events  of  the  period. 
The  Lady  Sale  Princess  cow  Maude,  by  Earl  of 
Grass  Hill  8071,  was  bid  off  at  the  extraordi- 
nary price  of  $7,200,  and  her  yearling  heifer  by 
Col.  Wood  13692— Princess  Maude— at  $2,800. 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  477 

Mrs.  Ember jy  gave  $2,025  for  the  fine  show 
heifer  3d  Gem  of  Eryholme,  bred  by  Messrs. 
Parks  and  sired  by  imp.  Gen.  Napier.  D.  M. 
Flynn  took  the  Vellum  heifer  Lady  King  at 
$2,025  and  the  massive  1,800-lb.  Cruickshank 
Secret  cow  imp.  Sylvia,  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land— the  great  cow  of  the  sale — at  $2,500.  J. 
W.  Handley  of  Mount  Vernon,  la.,  bought  For- 
est Queen  (of  McMillan's  breeding  and  sired  by 
Plantagenet  6031)  at  $1,550,  and  George  Chase 
bid  off  the  McMillan  cow  Louan  of  Slausondale 
at  $1,100.  M.  Bunker,  Tipton,  la.,  purchased 
the  "crack"  Kissinger  show  cow  Bettie  Stewart 
(running  to  imp.  Daisy  by  Wild)  at  $1,425,  and 
Mrs.  Kimberly  bought  imp.  Royal  Booth  (of 
Game  breeding  and  out  of  Malmsey)  for 
$1,075,  Scottish  Lady,  by  Col.  King's  imp, 
Scotsman,  at  $1,425,  the  noted  Kissinger  Caro- 
line (by  Dashwood)  show  cow  Russie  Pierce  at 
$1,500  and  Fannie  Pierce  of  same  family  at 
$1,100.  C.  S.  Barclay  took  the  roan  show 
heifer  British  Baron's  Gem,  by  imp.  British 
Baron,  at  $1,000.  This  was  a  grand  lot  of  cat- 
tle. Many  of  the  cows  weighed  from  1,600  to 
1,800  Ibs.  and  were  neat  as  well  as  large.  As 
illustrating  the  character  of  the  demand  for 
Short-horns  at  this  time  Mr.  C.  S.  Barclay  tells 
us  that  the  evening  after  this  sale  he  sold 
nearly  $2,000  worth  of  cattle,  some  of  which 
were  bought  by  the  light  of  a  lantern!  The 


478        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

fact  is  that  the  only  way  a  man  could  keep  a 
cow  in  those  days  was  to  refuse  to  price  her. 
West  Liberty  became  a  great  Short-horn  breed- 
ing center,  a  distinction  which  it  has  ever  since 
held. 

Milton  Briggs  of  Kellogg,  la.,  sold  on  the  day 
following  the  West  Liberty  sale  122  head  at  an 
average  of  $308.  This  sale  was  remarkable  for 
the  large  number  sold  and  the  uniformity  of 
values  maintained.  But  two  animals  passed 
the  $1,000  mark,  one;  Anna  Clark,  at  $1,075,  to 
S.  Corbin,  Paris,  Ky.,  and  the  other,  Jubilee  of 
Spotwood,  at  $1,025,  to  W.  M.  Blair,  Inland,  la. 

Dexter  Park  auctions. — In  May  a  notable 
series  of  sales  occurred  at  Dexter  Park,  Chi- 
cago. On  the  19th  some  long  prices  were  again 
*nade  by  the  Princess  family,  the  occasion  being 
the  sale  of  L.  W.  Towne  of  Clarence,  Mo.  These 
were  descendants  of  the  Lady  Sale  branch  of 
the  tribe,  coming  through  Highland  Maid,  one 
of  whose  daughters  brought  $7,200  at  the  Ja- 
cobs sale  already  mentioned.  Col.  William  E. 
Simms  of  Kentucky  was  the  heaviest  buyer, 
taking  the  three-year-old  Highland  Maid  7th 
at  $3,600,  Highland  Maid  5th  at  $1,900  and 
Highland  Maid  4th  at  $1,125.  For  Highland 
Maid  8th  Robert  Otley  gave  $1,600.  At  this 
same  sale  Col.  Simmes  paid  $1,600  for  Lady 
Hester  3d  and  $1,025  for  Lady  Hester,  both 
Lady  Sale  Princesses.  On  May  20  J.  P.  San- 


A   GOLDEN   AOE.  479 

born  of  Port  Huron,  Mich.,  received  $2,600  for 
the  Craggs  co.w  Duchess  of  Huron,  by  22d  Duke 
of  Airdrie,  from  John  R.  Craig  of  Edmonton, 
Can.,  and  $1,500  from  same  buyer  for  her  dam, 
2d  Duchess  of  Springwood,  then  ten  years  old. 
T.  Hickman  of  Ashland,  Mo.,  gave  $1,025  for 
the  Ohio  Rose  of  Sharon. Crystal  Queen  5th.  A 
few  Scotch-bred  cattle  were  included  in  this 
sale  and  met  with  fair  appreciation,  the  im- 
ported cow  WastelFs  Jenny  Lind  7th,  by  Lord 
of  the  Isles,  falling  to  Mr.  Heckman's  bidding 
at  $800. 

The  Avery  &  Murphy  sale. — On  May  21 
Avery  &  Murphy  of  Port  Huron  followed  with 
a  sale  of  seventy-five  head  averaging  $670. 
The  yearling  Bates-topped  Peri  heifer  Peri  2d 
of  Lyndale,  of  Col.  King's  breeding  and  sired 
by  the  $14,000  bull  2d  Duke  of  Hillhurst,  was 
taken  by  S.  W.  Jacobs  of  Iowa  at  $4,000.  The 
18th  Duke  of  Airdrie  cow  Miss  Wiley  4th  was 
bought  by  Col.  Simmes  of  Kentucky  for  $2,675, 
and  the  roan  Miss  Wiley  25th,  by  10th  Duke  of 
Thorndale/by  same  buyer  at  $1,825.  The  2d 
Louan  of  Glen  Flora  at  $2,350;  the  Ohio  Rose 
of  Sharon  cow  Rose  of  Fairholme  4th  (of  Judge 
Jones'  breeding)  at  $1,275,  and  the  imported 
Kinellar-bred  Scotch  cow  Wastell's  Golden 
Drop  4th  at  $1,100,  all  fell  to  the  persistent 
bidding  of  Col.  Robert  Holloway.  The  'Aber- 
deenshire  cattle  were  not  well  known  in  the 


480        A   HISTORY*  OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

West  at  this  time,  but  their  merit  was  begin 
ning  to  win  them  many  friend^  and  at  this 
sale  Mrs.  E.  Byram  of  Abingdon,  111.,  bought 
the  Cruickshank  cow  Michigan  Casket,  by  Sen- 
ator (27441)  out  of  Cactus  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land, at  $1,725;  the  mixed-bred  imp.  Michigan 
Daisy  and  Welcome  at  $1,000  and  $1,025  re- 
spectively. For  the  fine  imported  show  cow 
Joan  of  Arc,  of  mixed  English  breeding,  Albert 
Crane  paid  $1,000.  The  23d  Duke  of  Airdrie 
was  sold  at  this  sale  to  J.  P.  Sanborn  for  $9,600. 
On  the  22d  day  of  May  at  same  place  J.  R. 
Shelly  sold  the  Princess  cow  37th  Lady  Salo 
of  Putney  to  E.  L.  Davison  of  Kentucky  for 
$1,600,  and  Princess  3d  to  D.  Eichholtz  of 
Shannon,  111.,  for  $1,150.  Also  Mazurka  Duch- 
ess 3d  to  Campbell  &  Chase  of  West  Lib- 
erty, la.,  for  $1,550,  and  the  roan  Victoria  cow 
Venus  to  J.  P.  Sanborn,  Port  Huron,  Mich.,  for 
$1,000. 

Long  Prices  at  Meredith's. — On  May  28  at 
Cambridge  City,  Ind.,  S.  Meredith  &  Son  made 
a  great  sale  of  fifty-three  head,  averaging  $829. 
It  was  here  that  the  famous  Woodburn-bred 
cow  Mazurka  36th,  by  Star  of  the  Realm  11021 
out  of  Mazurka  31st  by  12th  Duke  of  Airdrie, 
brought  $4,005,  the  buyer  being  J.  C.  Jenkins 
of  Petersburg,  Ky.  Mazurka  of  Lyndale,  by 
17th  Duke  of  Airdrie,  and  her  heifer  calf  Oak- 
land Mazurka,  by  2d  Duke  of  Hillhurst,  were 


A    GOLDEN   AGE.  481 

taken  for  George  Fox  of  Cheshire,  Eng.,  at 
$3,100  and  $2,500  respectively.  The  Rose  of 
Sharon  cow  Grace  4th,  bred  by  Mr.  William 
Warfield  and  sired  by  Muscatoon  7057  out  of 
Grace  by  Airdrie  2478,  at  $3,000,  and  the  roan 
yearling  heifer  Craggs  Duchess  of  Cambridge, 
by  22d  Duke  of  Airdrie,  at  $2,400,  went  to  John 
R.  Craig  of  Canada.  The  red  Victoria  cow  Va- 
leria, bred  by  George  Murray  and  sired  by  17th 
Duke  of  Airdrie,  was  taken  by  R.  H.  Prewitt  of 
Kentucky  at  $1,800.  Duchess  Cadenza,  a  Cy- 
press cow  by  10th  Duke  of  Thorndale,  and  her 
yearling  heifer  brought  $3,150  from  Benjamin 
Sumner  of  Woodstock,  Conn.  The  Young  Mary 
cow  Miss  Washington  3d,  by  the  great  Ken- 
tucky breeding  bull  Airdrie  Duke  5306,  and 
her  heifer  calf  Lady  Geneva,  by  4th  Duke  of 
Geneva,  were  taken  by  James  Mix,  Kankakee, 
Hi;  at  $2,150.  The  imported  cow  2d  Lady,  of 
F.  H.  Fawkes'  breeding,  went  to  Ed  lies  at 
$1,250.  For  the  show  cow  Maggie  Stone  (by 
Airdrie  Duke  5306  out  of  a  Margaret,  by  Snow- 
ball, dam).  Hon.  Pliny  Nichols  of  West  Liberty, 
la.,  gave  $1,000.  Rigdon  Huston  of  Blandins- 
ville,  111.,  bought  the  show  bull  imp.  British 
Baron  13557,  of  Col.  Towneley's  breeding,  then 
five  years  old,  for  $975.  The  Messrs.  Meredith 
sold  privately,  after  the  conclusion  of  the  sale, 
the  Bates-bred  5th  Duchess  of  Springwood  to 
Mr.  Craig  for  $2,000. 


482        A   HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLEC 

Airdrie  Duchesses  at  $18,000  each.— Mr. 

Fox,  the  English  buyer  of  the  Mazurkas  at 
this  sale,  bought  privately  from  Mr.  A.  J. 
Alexander  that  excellent  bull  24th  Duke  of 
Airdrie  for  $12,000,  and  the  20th  Duchess  of 
Airdrie  at  $18,000  for  exportation,  and  from 
Gen.  N.  M.  Curtis  of  Ogclensburg  and  James  W. 
Wadsworth  of  same  place  a  number  of  Prin- 
cesses. About  this  same  time  Mr.  Alexander 
sold  to  E.  H.  Cheney  of  England  the  16th 
Duchess  of  Airdrie  for  $17,000. 

At  a  sale  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Cochrane,  held 
in  June,  1875,  at  Toronto,  Airdrie  Duchess  5th 
was  bought  by  Avery  &  Murphy  for  $18,000, 
arid  the  5th  Duke  of  Hillhurst  by  Mark  S. 
Cockrill  of  Tennessee  for  $8,300.  4th  Louan  of 
Slausondale  was  taken  by  B.  B.  Groom  at 
$2,850.  Messrs.  Beattie  &  Miller  sold  some  cat- 
tle at  high  prices  at  same  time,  receiving  $3,000 
for  Princess  of  Oxford  4th,  a  like  sum  for  Prin- 
cess Maud,  $2,200  for  Princess  of  Raby,  $2,700 
for  Surmise  Duchess  5th,  $2,400  for  Surmise 
Duchess  10th,  $3,100  for  Duchess  of  Raby, 
$4,600  for  Kirklevirigton  Princess  2d,  $4,025 
for  Kirklevington  Duchess  8th,  and  $2,300  for 
Careless  8th  —  thirty-four  females  averaging 
$1,226  each. 

Another  important  transaction  in  the  spring 
of  1875  was  the  purchase  by  Avery  &  Murphy 
of  the  entire  high-priced  herd  of  Col.  L.  G. 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  483 

Morris,  including  five  of  his  purchases  at  New 
York  Mills. 

Big  sales  in  the  Blue  Grass. — The  Kentucky 
summer  sales  of  1875  were  well  attended,  and 
Renick,  Vanmeter  and  Bates  blood  commanded 
great  prices.    At  Ben  F.  Vanmeter's  twenty 
Rose  of  Sharons  brought  $44,340,  an  average 
of  $2,217,  C.  D.  Chenault  of  Richmond,  Ky., 
taking  Julia's  Rose  at  $3,900,  and  H.  P.  Thom- 
son of  Kentucky  2d  Cambridge  Lady  at  $5,550. 
Poppy   5th   was   bought  for  Earl   Bective  at 
$2,000.    At  the  same  sale  twelve  Red  Roses 
(Young  Marys)  averaged  $890,  Messrs.  Groom 
paying  the  top,  $2,350,  for  Red  Rose  llth.     At 
E.  S.  Cunningham's  the  Grooms  paid  $4,150  for 
Duchess  of  Sharon,  and  Messrs.  Meredith  $1,600 
for  Rose  of  Wicken.     At  J.  G.  Kinnaird's  B. 
Sumner  of  Connecticut  gave  $2,650  for  Oneida 
Rose,  Messrs.  Meredith  $2,050  for  Minna  of  Elk 
Hill,  and  Emory  Cobb  $1,600  for  Mazurka  25th. 
At  William  Lowry's  J.  W.  Bean  of  Winchester, 
Ky.,  gave  $2,380  for  Valeria.     At  Walter  Han- 
dy's  Messrs.  Meredith  bought  4th  Mazurka  of 
Chesterfield  at  $3,500,  Mr.  Megibben  gave  $3,150 
for  Peri  of  Clifton  and  B.  Sumner  $2,025  for 
Grace  Sharon.     At  Wesley  Warnock's  $2,675 
was  paid  by  L.  F.  Pierce  of  Kentucky  for  Cam- 
bridge Rose  3d,  $2,250  by  John  R.  Craig  of  Can- 
ada for  Duchess  of  Springwood,  and  $1,600  by 
J.  H.  Spears  &  Sons  for  Miss  Wiley  of  Vinewood. 


484        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

At  J.  C.  Jenkins'  sale  Mrs.  Jesse  Long  of  Iowa 
gave  $2,125  for  Mazurka  36th,  George  M.  Bed- 
ford $2,500  for  4th  Louan  of  Oakland  and  $2,000 
for  Louan  of  Prospect  Farm,  E.  K.  Thomas 
$2,055  for  Blooming  Heath  2d,  and  J.  H.  Spears 
took  Mazurka  33d  at  $1,650.  Mr.  Jenkins'  fif- 
teen head  averaged  $1,274. 

Pushing  the  Princesses. — While  the  cham- 
pions of  this  fine  old  sort  did  not  score  as 
dazzling  a  success  during  this  speculative  era 
as  might  have  been  anticipated  in  view  of 
Belvedere's  brilliant  career  and  the  conceded 
dual-purpose  capacity  of  the  tribe,  still  they 
enlisted  the  support  of  several  daring  spirits 
prominent  in  the  trade  during  these  halcyon 
days  of  Short-horn  prosperity. 

The  American-bred  Princesses  were  all  de- 
scended from  the  three  imported  cows.  Red 
Rose  2d,  Lady  Sale  2d  and  Tuberose  2d.  Those 
tracing  to  Red  Rose  2d  were  unquestionably 
the  best.  Wherever  they  were  fairly  treated 
and  intelligently  bred  they  displayed  fine  sub- 
stance, thick  flesh  and  scale,  as  well  as  dairy 
propensity.  The  Princesses  had  been  largely 
in  the  hands  of  dairymen  in  the  New  England 
States,  and  were  treated  as  dairy  stock,  de- 
veloping milking  qualities  of  the  highest  order. 
The  Tuberose  branch  manifested  a  tendency  to 
present  dark  noses;  a  point  which  has  never 
met  with  the  favor  of  the  fraternity  of  Short- 


A  GOLDEN   AGE.  485 

horn  breeders.  Prominent  among  those  inter- 
ested in  the  Princesses  in  the  East  about,  this 
time  may  be  mentioned  Messrs.  A.  W.  Gris- 
wold,  a  New  York  lawyer  who  had  a  farm  in 
Vermont  that  was  in  charge  of  J.  0.  Sheldon's 
old  herdsman,  Mr.  Williams,  one  of  the  best 
men  of  his  profession  England  has  ever  given 
to  this  country;  D.  S.  Pratt,  a  clothing  mer- 
chant at  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  who  was  in  the  busi- 
ness purely  as  a  speculation  and  not  because  of 
any  special  love  for  the  cattle;  the  Messrs. 
Winslow  of  Putney,  Vt.,  who  were  practical 
farmers  and  dairymen;  the  Messrs.  Wadsworth 
of  Geneseo,  N.  Y.;  A.  B.  Conger,  Haverstraw, 
N.  Y.;  T.  L.  Harison,  Morley,  N.  Y.;  Col.  John 
B.  Taylor,*  London,  Ont.,  and  Richard  Gibson 
of  Canada,  who  bought  and  exported  a  number 
of  cattle  of  this  tribe  to  England.  These  were 
reinforced  by  Col.  William  S.  King  of  Minne- 
sota, Col.  W.  E.  Simms  of  Paris,  Ky.;  B.  B. 
Groom,  Winchester,  Ky.,  and  others.  In  July, 
1875,  Mr.  C.  F.  Wadsworth,  after  conferring 
with  leading  owners  of  Princesses  throughout 
the  country,  issued  a  small  volume  entitled  "A 
Record  of  Princess  Short-horns  in  America/' 

*  Col.  Taylor  was  an  English  army  officer  who  had  served  with  his  reg. 
Iment,  the  Sixtieth  Rifles,  in  the  Crimea.  He  settled  in  Canada  and  was 
made  Deputy  Adjutant-General  in  command  of  the  militia  of  the  district  in 
which  he  resided.  He  bought  a  small  place  near  London  and  beg-an  breed- 
Ing  Short-horns  with  marked  success.  He  was  a  great  enthusiast  and  one 
Df  the  closest  students  of  pedigrees  of  his  day.  Probably  his  greatest  suc- 
cess was  with  tho  Bates  Cragjrs  tribe.  He  died  a  few  years  since  at  Winni- 
peg while  in  command  of  that  military  district. 


486        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

which,  it  was  expected,  would  assist  in  build- 
ing up  a  Princess  aristocracy  by  separating  the 
pedigrees  of  cattle  of  that  tribe  from  the  great 
mass  of  records  carried  by  the  Short-horn  Herd 
Book.  As  might  have  been  anticipated,  how- 
ever, and  as  was  predicted  by  some  of  the  level 
heads  in  the  Princess  camp,  this  attempt  at 
"exclusiveness"  was  resented  by  the  breeders 
at  large.  While  long  prices  were  established 
for  a  time  the  manipulations  of  speculators 
failed  to  attain  for  any  extended  period  their 
cherished  object.  In  common  with  other  tribes 
that  were  at  this  time  largely  at  the  mercy  of 
those  who  were  handling  Short-horns  for  spec- 
ulative purposes  only — and  often  with  violent 
disregard  of  correct  principles  and  practice— 
the  Princesses  suffered  more  or  less  deteriora- 
tion; the  blame  for  which,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
Bates  tribes,  rested  upon  the  folly  of  reckless 
men  rather  than  upon  the  hapless  cattle  that 
were  made  the  subject  of  egregious  blundering. 
In  August,  1875,  Aim-on  W.  Griswold  sold  in 
the  historic  Duchess  ring  at  New  York  Mills 
five  Princesses  for  $18,100,  an  average  of 
$3,620  each,  the  top  being  $5,600  for  Lady 
Mary  2d  to  Richard  Gibson  for  Col.  King.  The 
laird  of  Lyndale  also  obtained  Lady  Mary  at 
$4,000  and  Avery  &  Murphy  got  Lady  Mary  9th 
at  $2,200  and  6th  Lady  Sale  of  Brattleboro  at 
$3,300.  Several  Gwynnes  —  near  kin  to  the 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  487 

Princesses  —  also  sold  well,  Gibson  paying 
$3,000  for  one  and  $1,900  for  another.  These 
traced  to  Tanqueray's  Minerva  4th,  imported 
by  Morris  &  Becar.  At  this  same  sale  7th  Lord 
of  Oxford  17586  fetched  $3,700  and  Avery  & 
Murphy  paid  $3,000  for  Peri  3d.  The  thirty- 
three  animals  disposed  of  brought  $56,000,  an 
average  of  $1,697. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  Gwynnes  of  this  pe- 
riod ranked  with  the  best  Short-horns  of  their 
time.  Indeed  for  many  years,  while  the  old 
Princess  sort  and  their  cousins  the  Elviras  and 
"Js"  were  still  in  comparative  obscurity,  under 
the  skillful  management  of  careful  handlers  in 
Cumberland  and  the  North  the  Gwynnes  were 
making  Short-horn  history.  Their  intrinsic 
merit  and  solid  worth,  their  grand  flesh  and 
scale,  their  finish  and  dairy  quality  gained  for 
the  Gwynnes  the  plaudits  of  the  entire  coun- 
try-side even  in  the  very  heart  of  the  old  Short- 
horn country.  As  one  after  another  of  these 
handsome  specimens  of  the  breed  made  their 
appearance  in  the  English  show-yards  and  sale- 
rings  their  name  became  a  bye-word,  synony- 
mous with  symmetry  and  persistent  quality. 
"The  Gwynnes  can't  be  downed,"  an  expres- 
sion often  heard  in  those  days  across  the  At- 
lantic, meant  that  no  matter  what  cross  or 
alien  blood  was  resorted  to  the  Gwynne  char- 
acter seemed  to  assert  itself.  Richard  Gibson, 


488        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

appreciating  fully  their  position  abroad,  be- 
came an  ardent  supporter  of  the  tribe  on  this 
side,  and  many  breeders  subsequently  profited 
largely  by  the  presence  of  Gwynne  cows  and 
heifers  in  their  pastures.  The  late  Simon  Beat- 
tie  offered  Gibson  $4,000  for  one  specimen  of 
the  family  to  b_e  exported  to  England. 

At  H.  P.  Thomson's  sale  of  1875  in  Ken- 
tucky six  Princesses  were  disposed  of  at  a  val- 
uation of  $15,725,  an  average  of  $2,620.  D.  L. 
Hughes  of  Iowa  took  two,  paying  $4,100  for 
Lady  Sale  29th  and  $1,700  for  2d  Tuberose  of 
Grass  Hill.  D.  S.  Pratt  of  Vermont  acquired 
Lady  Sale  29th  on  a  bid  of  $4,000.  Avery  & 
Murphy  paid  $2,500  for  Lady  Sale  31st.  S.  V. 
Jacobs  of  Iowa  bought  Lady  Sale  36th  at 
$1,800  and  John  Collard  of  the  same  State  be- 
came the  owner  of  6th  Tuberose  of  Brattleboro 
at  $1,625,  At  this  sale  Emory  Cobb  of  Illinois 
took  Constance  of  Putney  4th  at  $1,950  and  E. 
Stedman  of  Massachusetts  bought  Blush  of 
Glen  Flora  at  $2,750.  The  $1,000  mark  was 
passed  sixteen  times  during  the  sale,  the 
ninety-six  head  sold  fetching  a  total  of 
$53,070,  an  average  of  $553. 

The  Trans-Mississippi  trade. — The  summer 
of  1875  was  a  season  of  sore  trial  and  tribu- 
lation to  the  farmers  beyond  the  Missouri 
River  on  account  of  the  ravages  of  grasshop- 
pers. Feed  was  in  short  supply  in  the  newer 


A  GOLDEN   AGE.  489 

West,  so  when  Mr.  J.  G.  Cowan  of  Missouri, 
the  owner  of  the  $3,000  show  and  breeding 
bull  London  Duke  6th  10399,  arranged  for  a 
public  sale,  to  include  that  distinguished  ani- 
mal, it  was  decided  to  offer  the  stock  at  Ot- 
tumwa,  la.  The  event  occurred  Aug.  18,  and 
with  the  exception  of  the  fine  Young  Mary 
cow  Grace  Young  3d  everything  was  taken  by 
Iowa  and  Missouri  breeders,  the  thirty-six  head 
commanding  $19,340,  an  average  of  $537.  Lou- 
don  Duke  6th  was  bid  off  by  E.  Gilliston  of 
Mound  City,  Mo.,  at  $1,950;  S.  W.  Jacobs  gave 
$1,000  for  London's  Minna;  D.  A.  Rouner  of 
Newark,  Mo.,  $1,000  for  Red  Daisy  of  Fairview 
5th,  and  J.  G.  Strawn  of  Illinois  a  like  sum  for 
the  Mary  cow  above  mentioned. 

In  September,  1875,  D.  M.  Flynn  of  Des 
Moines  made  an  average  of  $699  on  eighteen 
head.  D.  L.  Hughes  of  Vinton  had  opposition 
on  Roan  Princess  up  to  $3,500  and  S.  W- 
Jacobs  had  to  carry  the  Scotch-bred  Minnie's 
Annandale  2d  to  $2,000.  For  Lady  King  the 
same  buyer  paid  $1,500.  Dr.  George  Sprague 
of  Des  Moines  sold  nineteen  head  in  connec- 
tion with  Mr.  Flynn  that  made  an  average  of 
$592.  Red  Daisy  of  Fairview  4JJi,  that  the 
Doctor  had  bought  at  the  Cowan  sale  for  $710, 
fell  here  to  D.  L.  Hughes'  bidding  at  $1,550. 
For  Oakwood  Miss  Wiley  John  Collard  paid 


490        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

$1,100.    2d  Duke's  Gem  went  to  A.  W.  Thom- 
son of  Kentucky  at  $1,200. 

At  John  Collard's  sale  the  red  six-year-old 
Scotch-bred  imported  cow  Raspberry,  by 
Prince  of  Worcester,  was  taken  by  William 
Hastie,  Somerset,  la.,  at  $1,200.  For  Lady 
Dahlia  the  same  price  was  given  by  J.  D 
Brown  of  Omaha. 

$3,500  for  a  Scotch  heifer.— Shortly  before 
this  Mrs.  A.  E.  Kimberley  of  West  Liberty,  la. 
had  broken  the  record  for  Scotch-bred  cattle 
by  paying  J.  H.  Kissinger  $3,500  for  the  cele 
brated  Cruickshank  show  heifer  imp.  Orange 
Blossom  18th. 

Short-horns  were  enjoying  a  great  "boom" 
west  of  the  Mississippi.  Mention  has  been 
made  of  some  of  the  more  notable  purchases 
of  Mr.  Albert  Crane  of  Durham  Park,  Kan.,  at 
auction  sales.  About  this  time  he  bought  some 
Booth-bred  cattle  from  Mr.  Coffin  of  Maryland, 
and  from  F.  W.  Belden,  Kaneville,  111.,  he  se- 
cured for  stock  purposes  the  Booth-bred  Hec- 
uba bull  Lord  of  the  Lake  at  $1,000.  He  man- 
ifested his  interest  in  Bates  blood,  however,  by 
purchasing  privately  about  this  same  date  from 
Mr.  Alexander  of  Woodburn  the  white  bull  Lord 
Bates  3d,  by  24th  Duke  of  Airdrie,  at  $1,000. 

Groom  importations  and  sale. — One  of  the 
most  prominent  of  the  breeders  and  import- 
ers of  this  period  was  Mr.  B.  B.  Groom  of 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  491 

Vinewood  Farm,  near  Winchester,  Clark  Co., 
Ky.  In  April,  1875,  the  firm  of  B.  B.  Groom  & 
Son  imported  from  England  thirty-one  head  of 
Bates-bred  cattle,  belonging  mainly  to  families 
originated  by  the  Messrs.  Bell ;  included  in  the 
shipment  being  the  roan  8th  Maid  of  Oxford, 
of  Sheldon's  breeding,  that  had  been  exported 
to  England  some  years  previous.  In  July  of 
the  same  year  Messrs.  Groom  imported  7th 
Maid  of  Oxford  and  her  bull  calf  and  the  roan 
bull  8th  Duke  of  Geneva  (28390),  both  of  Shel- 
don's breeding.  These  had  been  bought  at 
Leney.'s  sale  at  $10,000  for  the  Duke  and  $3,325 
for  the  Oxford  cow  and  calf.  On  Oct.  14  a 
number  of  these  imported  cattle,  together  with 
a  selection  of  American-bred  stock,  was  offered 
at  public  sale,  and  the  event  drew  out  a  great 
attendance  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 
The  prices  paid  and  the  wide  distribution  of 
the  animals  indicate  the  remarkable  character 
of  the  demand  at  this  time  for  Short-horns 
carrying  the  Bates  blood.  We  append  here- 
with a  summary  as  to  the  leading  lots,  together 
with  the  general  averages : 

22d  Duchess  of  Airdrie— J.  H.  Spears  &  Sons,  Illinois . . . .  „  .$17,500 

Kirklevington  Duchess  18th— John  R.  Craig,  Canada 5,150 

Brightness— Benjamin  Sumner,  Connecticut 5,100 

Highland  Maid  6th— J.  C.  Tyler,  Vermont 5,050 

Duchess  of  Clarence — J.  H.  Spears  &  Sons 4,100 

Kirklevington  Lady  6th— A  very  &  Murphy,  Michigan 3,900 

2d  Duchess  of  Clarence— J.  H.  Spears  &  Sons 3,175 

Wild  Eyes  Rose— W.  N.  Offutt,  Kentucky 8,050 

Kirklevington  Lady  3d— J.  V.  Grigsby,  Kentucky 8,000 


492        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Princess  of  Vine  wood  1st — D.  L.  Hughes,  Iowa 3,000 

Georgia  Hillhurst  3d— Avery  &  Murphy 2,800 

Duchess  of  Kingscote— J.  V.  Grigsby 2,550 

Kirklevington  Lady  4th — Avery  &  Murphy 2,550 

Fennel  Duchess  of  Knightley  Hall— T.  J.  Megibben,  Ken- 
tucky    2,500 

2d  Lady  Bates  of  Vinewood— E.  S.  Bussing,  New  York 2,000 

Kirklevington  Lady  5th— Henry  Cor  bin,  Kentucky 2,OOC 

Annette  of  Knightley  Hall— John  Collard,  Iowa 2,000 

Wild  Flower  Duchess— N.  .G.  Pond,  Connecticut 1,900 

Duchess  of  Knightley  Hall-John  Collard 1,850 

Highland  Maid  7th— D.  L.  Hughes 1,700 

Wild  Eyes  of  Horton  Park— W.  N.  Offutt,  Kentucky 1,700 

Lady  Sale  10th— D.  L.  Hughes 1,600 

Princess  of  Vinewood  2d— J.  V.  Grigsby 1,550 

3d  Lady  Bates  of  Vinewood— E.  S.  Bussing,  New  York 1,500 

Rosa  Bonheur  8th— Avery  &  Murphy 1,400 

Ruby  Duchess— John  R.  Craig 1,225 

Bright  Eyes  9th— T.  Stedman  &  Son,  Massachusetts ...  1,175 

Duenna  Duchess  7th— J.  H.  Spears  &  Sons 1,125 

Victoria  llth— J.  G.  Cowan,  Missouri 1,050 

Duenna  Duchess  6th — B.  Sumner  &  Co.,  Connecticut 1,050 

Jubilee  Oxford  4th— J.  V.  Grigsby 1,000 

Sanspareil  10th— J.  H.  Spears  &  Sons 1,000 

Oxford  Geneva— D.  L.  Hughes,  Iowa 5,000 

2d  Compton  Lord  Wild  Eyes— John  Collard,  Iowa 2,500 

3d  Duke  of  Under-Edge— John  Collard 2,100 

2d  Duke  of  Under-Edge— Hon.  William  M.  Smith,  Illinois. .  1,650 

1st  Duke  of  Under-Edge— Mrs.  Jesse  Long,  Iowa 1,050 

64  females  sold  for $109,445;  an  average  of $1,710 

9  bulls  sold  for 14,015 ;  an  average  of 1,557 

73  animals  sold  for 123,460 ;  an  average  of 1,691 

Other  important  transactions. — At  H.  D. 
Ayres'  sale  Mr.  Groom  bought  Hilpa  Duchess 
at  $2,500;  at  W.  L.  Sudduth's  a  pair  of  Miss 
Washingtons  (Young  Marys)  fetched  $2,000;  at 
John  W.  Prewitt's  B.  F.  Vanmeter  gave  $1,000 
for  a  Gentle  Annie  Phyllis,  and  at  B.  P.  GofFs 
Mr.  J.  H.  Pickrell  took  Bright  Lady  of  the 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  493 

Realm  at  $4,000.  This  Booth  heifer  was  out  of 
Bright  Lady,  the  dam  of  Breastplate. 

At  Wesley  Warnock's  seventy-three  females 
sold  for  $29,510,  an  average  of  $404,  L.  F.  Pierce 
of  Maysville  giving  $2,675  for  Cambridge  Rose 
3d,  John  R.  Craig  of  Canada  $2,250  for  Duchess 
of  Springwood,  and  J.  H.  Spears  &  Son  $1,600 
for  Miss  Wiley  of  Vinewood.  At  J.  C.  Jenkins' 
sale  fifteen  head  brought  the  great  average  of 
$1,274,  Mrs.  Jesse  Long  of  Iowa  going  to  $2,125 
for  Mazurka  36th;  George  M.  Bedford  bid  $2,500 
for  4th  Louan  of  Oakland  and  $2,000  for  Louan 
of  Prospect  Farm ;  E.  K.  Thomas  followed  Bloom- 
ing Heath  2d  to  $2,055,  and  J.  H.  Spears  went 
to  $1,650  on  Mazurka  33d. 

Mr.  Warfield  sold  to  John  Comstock  of  In- 
diana the  bull  calf  Loudon  Duke  12th,  by  imp. 
Robert  Napier,  at  $1,500.  Gen.  Meredith  & 
&  Son  bought  3d  Mazurka  at  $2,000,  Julia  3d  at 
$1,000  and  Martha  Muscatoon  at  $1,000  from 
C.  M.  Niccolls,  Bloomington,  111. 

All  records  broken  at  Dunmore.  —  On 
Wednesday,  Aug.  25,  1875,  the  greatest  aver- 
age ever  made  at  an  auction  sale  of  cattle  in 
the  world  was  obtained  by  Lord  Dunmore  at  a 
draft  sale  held  on  the  Earl's  estate  near  Stir- 
ling, Scotland,  upon  which  occasion  thirty- 
nine  head  brought  the  enormous  total  of 
SI 49,336,  an  average  of  $3,829  on  the  entire 
lot.  It  was  here  also  that  the  greatest  price 


494         A   HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

ever  obtained  for  a  bull  of  any  breed  was  paid, 
to-wit.r  4,500  gs.,  which  reduced  to  American 
gold  at  that  date  was  the  equivalent  of  $26,904, 
the  bull  being  Duke  of  Connaught  (33604)  of 
the  Bates  Duchess  tribe. 

It  is  of  special  interest  to  American  breeders 
to  note  that  the  best  price  made  at  this  sale  by 
a  female  was  by  a  representative  of  the  Renick 
Rose  of  Sharon  family,  and  that  the  sire  of 
Duke  of  Connaught  was  the  American-bred 
Duke  of  Hillhurst  (28401),  that  was  bred  by 
Hon.  M.  H.  Cochrane  from  the  14th  Duke  of 
Thorndale  (28459).  Furthermore,  the  high- 
priced  Oxford  females  sold  were  the  produce 
of  the  8th  and  llth  Maids  of  Oxford,  bred  in 
New  York  and  exported  in  1871.  In  addition 
to  this  the  second  highest-priced  bull  of  the 
sale — and  the  sire  of  a  number  of  the  most  val- 
uable heifers  offered — was  the  American-bred 
3d  Duke  of  Hillhurst  (30975),  by  6th  Duke  of 
Geneva  (30959). 

The  case  of  Duke  of  Connaught  is  unique  in 
the  annals  of  stock-breeding  for  the  reason  that 
he  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  successful  sires 
of  high-class  Short-horns  ever  used  in  Great 
Britain,  and  so  great  was  the  demand  for  jtock 
of  his  get  on  account  of  their  conceded  excel- 
lence that  the  buyer  of  the  bull,  Lord  Fitzhar- 
dinge  of  Berkeley  Castle,  Gloucestershire,  re- 
ceived in  stud  fees  and  for  Connaught  calves 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  495 

an  aggregate  sum  of  money  which  more  than 
reimbursed  him  for  his  extraordinary  outlay  at 
Dunmore.  This  was  indeed  an  outstanding 
example  of  the  fact  that  if  one  is  certain  of 
his  premises  in  seeking  to  estimate  the  proba- 
ble value  of  a  stock  bull  it  is  difficult  to  place 
any  limit  within  reasonable  bounds  upon  the 
price  to  be  paid. 

This  sale  was  conducted  by  Mr.  John  Thorn- 
ton, whose  maiden  effort  on  the  auction  block 
had  been  made  at  Rugby  in  1868,  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Rev.  John  Storer  of  Hellidon.  *  A 
list  of  the  animals  that  brought  $2,000  or  up- 
ward is  presented  below,  the  English  values 
being  reduced  to  their  current  equivalent  in 
American  gold: 

COWS  AND  HEIFERS. 

Red  Rose  of  the  Isles,  red,  calved  March  9,  1870;  bred  by 
Abram  Renick,  Kentucky;  got  by  Airdrie  2478,  dam 
Duchess  3d  by  Dandy  Duke— Lord  Bective $11,658 

Marchioness  of  Oxford  3d,  white,  calved  March  3, 1873 ;  got 
by  2d  Duke  of  Collingham  (23730)  out  of  8th  Maid  of  Ox- 
ford by  2d  Duke  of  Geneva — Duke  of  Manchester 10,821 

*  The  Hellidon  sale  was  indeed  a  red-letter  day  in  Mr.  Thornton's  career. 
Storer  was  quite  an  authority  on  Short-horns  at  that  time  and  actively 
identified  with  the  fortunes  of  the  Booths.  In  common  with  Messrs.  Torr, 
Ayhuer,  Booth  and  their  friends  Mr.  Storer  felt  that  Strafford,  who  was  at 
this  date  the  presiding  genius  at  all  the  great  Short-horn  sales,  was  too 
active  in  behalf  of  the  breeders  of  Bates  cattle.  Thornton  was  in  Straf- 
ford's  employ,  and  the  idea  of  encouraging  a  paid  helper  to  usurp  the 
throne  of  his  employer  was  an  unheard-of  thing  in  England  among  such 
conservative  men  of  means  as  were  represented  by  the  backers  of  the 
Booths.  Nevertheless  the  Booth  men  brought  Thornton  out  at  the  Helli- 
don sale,  and,  although  it  was  bis  first  attempt  with  the  sand  glass,  he 
proved  his  fitness  for  the  work  by  keeping  cool  even  under  circumstances 
calculated  to  excite  an  old  hand. 


496        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Red  Rose  of  Balmoral,  red,  calved  Nov.  14, 1873 ;  got  by  3d 
Duke  of  Hillhurst  (30975)  out  of  the  Rose  of  Sharon  cow 
Red  Rose  of  Braemar  by  llth  Duke  of  Thorndale— Lord 
Bective $7, J53 

Oxford  Duchess  2d,  roan,  calved  June  20, 1872;  got  by  2d 
Duke  of  Collingham  (23730)  out  of  llth  Lady  of  Oxford 
by  Baron  of  Oxford  (23371)— Lord  Fitzhardinge 5,978 

Fuchsia  12th,  roan,  calved  Feb.  15, 1872;  got  by  Duke  of  Al- 
bany (25931)  out  of  Fuchsia  10th  by  Grand  Duke  of  York 
(24071)— T.  Lister v 5,380 

Water  Flower,  red- and- white,  calved  Dec.  20, 1871 ;  got  by 
6th  Duke  of  Geneva  (30959)  out  of  Waterloo  38th  by  Earl 
of  Eglinton  (23832)— T.  Halford 8,706 

Lady  Worcester  5th,  roan,  calved  March  30, 1869;  got  by  3d 
Duke  of  Claro  (23729)  out  of  Lady  Worcester  3d  by 
Charleston  (21400)— A.  H.  Brassey 3,706 

Blythesome  Eyes,  red,  calved  Dec.  22, 1874 ;  got  by  3d  Duke 
of  Hillhurst  (30975)  out  of  Wild  Eyes  Duchess  by  9th 
Grand  Duke  (19879)  —Lord  Bective 3,617 

Fuchsia  13th,  roan,  calved  March  4th,  1872;  got  by  Duke  of 
Albany  (25931)  out  of  Fuchsia  9th  by  Grand  Duke  of 
York  (24071)  - J.  W.  Larking 3,886 

Lady  Worcester  12th,  white,  calved  Nov.  15, 1872;  got  by 
8th  Duke  of  Geneva  (28290)  out  of  Lady  Worcester  5th 
by  3d  Duke  of  Claro  (23729)— Lord  Bective 8,318 

Lady  Worcester  llth,  white,  calved  Oct.  2, 1872;  got  by  3d 
Duke  of  Clara  (23729)  out  of  Lady  Worcester  8d  by  3d 
Duke  of  Wharfdale  (21619)  —Duke  of  Manchester 8,288 

Lady  Worcester  16th,  roan,  calved  May  23, 1875 ;  got  by  3d 

Duke  of  Hillhurst  (30975)  —Lord  Bective 8,288 

Water  Lily,  red,  calved  June  25,  1874;  got  by  3d  Duke  of 

Hillhurst— T.  Halford 3,108 

Wild  Eyes  Duchess,  red,  calved  Feb.  8,  1865;  got  by  9th 

Grand  Duke  (19879)— T.  Wilson 2,869 

Wild  Eyebright,  roan,  calved  Sept.  10, 1872 ;  got  by  6th  Duke 

of  Geneva  (30959)— T.  Wilson 2,720 

Lady  Worcester  13th,  red-and-white,  calved  Jan.  28, 1874 ; 

got  by  3d  Duke  of  Hillhurst  (30975)— George  Fox 2,690 

Lady  Worcester  9th,  red-and-white,  calved  Aug.  19, 1871 ; 

got  by  3d  Duke  of  Claro  (23729)  —Mr.  Brogden 2,630 

Hazel  Eyes,  roan,  calved  Nov.  80,  1874;  got  by  3d  Duke  of 

Hillhurst  (30975)— H.  J.  Sheldon 2,391 

Lady  Worcester  15th,  red,  calved  Feb.  1,  1875;  got  by  3d 

Duke  of  Hillhurst  (30975)— R.  Loder 2,152 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  497 

Fuchsia  14th,  roan,  calved  March  19, 1874;  got  by  Duke  of 

Albany  (25931)— Mr.  Lister $2,152 

Wild  Rose,  red-and-white,  calved  Feb.  2,  18T2 ;  got  by  6th 

Duke  of  Geneva  (30959)  —Col.  Kingscote 2,092 

Sparkling  Eyes,  red-and-white,  calved  Nov.  18,  1873;  got  by 

6th  Duke  of  Geneva  (30959)  —Lord  Feversha  m 2,092 

BULLS. 

Duke  of  Connaught  (33C04),  roan,  calved  Aug.  10,  1873;  got 
by  Duke  of  Hillhurst  (28401)  out  of  Duchess  108th  by  8th 
Duke  of  York  (28480)— Started  at  $10,000  and  sold  to 
Lord  Fitzhardinge 26,904 

3d  Duke  of  Hillhurst  (30975),  red,  calved  Dec.  2, 1871;  got 
by  6th  Duke  of  Geneva  (30959)  out  of  Duchess  101st  by 
4th  Duke  of  Thorndale  (17750)  — Started  at  f 5,000  and 
sold  to  J.  W.  Larking 17,936 

30  females  sold  for $98,457.28 ;  aa  average  of $3,281.91 

9  bulls  sold  for 50,878.73 ;  an  average  of 5,653.19 

39  animals  sold  for 149,236.01 ;  an  average  of 3,829.13 

Torr's  Triumph.— While  the  Bates  flag  flut- 
tered thfs  defiance  from  its  stronghold  in  the 
North,  the  broad  pennant  of  the  Booths  was 
spread  upon  the  autumn  breeze  from  a  moated 
manor  house  in  Lincolnshire,  where,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  squire  of  Warlaby  in  person, 
the  challenge  met  with  a  response  that  re- 
verberated throughout  the  Short-horn  cattle- 
breeding  world. 

Torr  of  Aylesby  was  dead.  Warlaby  had 
been  passing  through  the  fiery  furnace  of  epi- 
demic foot-and-mouth,  and  now  leaned  for  sup- 
port upon  the  great  herd  which  the  genius  of 
"the  first  farmer  of  England"  had  builded  by 
thirty  years  of  unwavering  devotion  to  Booth 
bulls.  "The  well-knit  frame,  the  cheery  sun- 
at-noonday  smile,  the  organizing  head,  the 

32 


498         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

dauntless,  warm  heart  whence  welled  unflag- 
ging energy,  determined  perseverance,  elo- 
quent speech  and  endless  hospitality''  was  to 
be  seen  no  more  about  the  picturesque  cot- 
tages or  among  the  fine  old  trees  of  Aylesby, 
but  the  results  of  a  long  and  useful  life  were  in 
striking  evidence  in  those  rich  East  Anglian 
pastures.  When  it  came  to  be  known,  there- 
fore, that  the  herd  was  to  pass  at  auction  on 
the  2d  day  of  September,  1875,  beneath  the 
shifting  sands  of  Thornton's  fateful  glass,*  the 
very  flower  of  England's  Short-horn  chivalry 
assembled  to  do  honor  to  the  memory  of  one 
of  the  most  striking  personalities  British  agri- 
culture has  developed.  Indeed  the  fame  of 
Aylesby,  its  Short-horns,  its  Leicesters,  its 
ponies  and  its  well-kept  fields  had  extended 
to  the  four  corners  of  the  earth.  The  story  of 
how  the  great  tenant-farmer  had  begun  by 
leasing  Leonard  in  1844;  of  his  persistent  hir- 
ing of  Mr.  Booth's  best  sires;  of  his  recourse  to 
the  Mantalinis  of  Barnes  of  Westland,  Ireland, 
while  Warlaby  was  contending  with  disease; 
of  his  creation  of  the  Bright,  Flower,  the  "G," 
the  "M"  and  other  famous  Riby  and  Aylesby 
families,  was  familiar  to  all  the  well-informed 
cattle-breeders  in  Europe,  America  and  Aus- 

*The  English  auctioneer  uses  a  sand-glass  in  closing1  bids.  After  due 
warning  the  glass  is  held  aloft  and  the  sand  allowed  to  run.  The  last  bid 
in  before  the  upper  chamber  of  the  glass  empties  itself  Into  the  bottom 
secures  the  animal. 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  499 

tralia.  Hence  it  came  to  pass  that  when  the 
dispersion  of  the  herd  was  announced  visitors 
from  far  and  near  gathered  literally  by  the 
thousand.  Luncheon  had  been  set  for  1,500 
guests,  a  great  canvas  accommodating  2,000 
people  was  provided,  and  yet  the  crowds  over- 
flowed all  Aylesby  and  vicinity.  Great  landed 
proprietors  and  peers  of  the  realm  mingled 
with  eminent  breeders,  all  intent  upon  show- 
ing their  respect  and  love  for  the  man  who 
had  accomplished  so  much  for  his  country's 
good.  Factors,  herdsmen  and  agents  mingled 
with  the  throng,  eagerly  examining  the  cattle 
and  making  notes  on  the  various  lots  prepara- 
tory to  laying  bids  for  absent  principals.  It 
was,  in  brief,  a  scene  that  has  had  few  paral- 
lels in  agricultural  history;  and  the  disposition 
of  eighty-five  head  of  Torr's  own  production 
for  the  great  sum  of  $243,144.57  must  be  re- 
garded, all  things  considered,  as  the  most  re- 
markable result  ever  yet  worked  out  by  an 
individual  breeder  of  Short-horns  or  any  other 
class  of  cattle. 

Mr.  Torr  had  once  remarked,  "It  takes  thirty 
years  to  make  a  herd  and  bring  it  to  one's  no- 
tion of  perfection."  Fortunately  for  himself 
and  for  the  breed  he  lived  to  exactly  that  limit 
from  the  date  when  he  first  began  his  final 
breeding  operations  with  Booth  bulls  as  sires. 
He  sought  to  produce  animals  combining  supe- 


500         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

rior  quality,  with  faultless  pedigree,  uniformity 
of  character  and  "hard,  nay,  iron  constitu- 
tions." He  bred  for  oblique  shoulders,  great 
fore  ribs,  strong  loins,  and  heavy  flesh  possess- 
ing mellowness  without  softness,  and  covered 
with  abundance  of  furry  hair;  avoiding  at  all 
times  what  is  generally  referred  to  as  "loose 
handling."  To  his  sound^  judgment,  his  un- 
equaled  knowledge  and  experience,  his  un- 
changeable determination  to  keep  his  best 
"even  when  tempted  by  the  golden  hand  of 
fashion"  may  be  attributed  the  fact  that  his 
herd  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  called  "the 
best  large  herd  in  Britain." 

Torr's  favorite  family  was  the  Flower  sort, 
descended  in  the  maternal  line  from  Robert 
Colling's  Wildair;  whose  own  brother,  Phe- 
nomenon (491)— the  sire  of  Angelina,  the  dam 
of  Belvedere — was  counted  at  Barmpton  a  bet- 
ter bull  than  Comet.  The  Aylesby  Flowers 
traced  to  Wildair  through  the  famous  roan 
Nonpareil,  the  highest-priced  cow  at  Robert 
Colling's  sale  of  1818 — sold  to  Earl  Spencer  at 
370  guineas.  The  tribe  came  into  Mr.  Torr's 
hands  in  1841  through  Flora  of  Farnsfield,  by 
Rinaldo  (4949),  a  bull  of  Booth  blood.  The 
great  cow  Highland  Flower  (see  sale  list  be- 
low) was  of  this  family.  The  five  head  sold 
averaged  $2,880.  , 

The  Ribys  and  Brights  went  back  to  Booth's 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  501 

Anna,  by  Pilot,  through  Rose,  a  cow  bought  by 
Whitaker  at  the  Studley  sale  of  1834.  Rose 
had  two  daughters,  White  Rose,  by  James 
Chrisp's  Bull,  and  Red  Rose,  by  Scrip  (2604). 
The  Brights  came  from  the  former  and  the 
Ribys  from  the  latter.  Although  several  crosses 
of  extraneous  blood  intervened  in  the  breeding 
of  these  Aylesby  Annas  between  the  Whitaker 
purchase  of  1834  and  the  subsequent  return  to 
Warlaby  lines  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Torr  in  1851 
the  reuniting  of  the  Booth  currents  proved  a 
happy  stroke.  Mr.  T.  C.  Booth  took  advantage 
of  the  Aylesby  dispersion  to  rejuvenate  the 
herd  at  Warlaby  by  transferring  the  best  of 
this  sort  to  his  own  pastures.  For  Bright  Em- 
press he  was  forced  to  pay  the  record  price  of 
$12,900 — the  highest  ever  given  for  a  cow  of 
any  breed  at  auction  up  to  that  date  in  Great 
Britain.  The  twenty-two  Annas  made  the  as- 
tounding average  of  $4,180  each. 

Mr.  Torr's  "G"  and  "M"  tribes— so  called 
from  the  fact  that  those  were  the  initial  letters 
used  respectively  in  the  family  nomenclature- 
had  a  common  origin  in  the  herd  of  Mr.  Rob- 
son.  The  ancestral  dam  of  the  "Gs"  was  Gold- 
en Beam,  and  of  the  "Ms"  Moonbeam,  both 
bought  about  1840  and  sired  by  Prince  Comet 
(1342).  The  strongly-bred  Warlaby  bulls  made 
a  great  impression  upon  this  sound  old  founda- 
tion, producing  many  good  Short-horns.  The 


502        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

"Beams"  were  reduced  to  but  seven  head  at 
the  sale,  but  made  an  average  of  $1,530  each, 
the  "M"  cow  Mountain  Vale  fetching  $2,500 
from  the  Earl  of  Tankerville. 

Although  a  devout  believer  in  Booth  blood 
Torr  had  an  eye  for  a  good  beast  however  bred. 
He  was  impressed  at  the  Bates  dispersion  sale 
by  the  excellence  of  the  Waterloos.  Mr.  Bates 
had  bred  and  sold  to  Rev.  T.  Gator  Waterloo  3d, 
by  Norfolk,  from  which  Mr.  Gator  had  Water 
Witch,  by  4th  Duke  of  Northumberland  (3649). 
The  last-named  cow  was  bought  by  Mr.  Torr  in 
1845,  and  from  her  a  large  and  meritorious  fam- 
ily of  Booth-topped  Waterloos  descended.  In 
the  herd  catalogue  for  1868  no  less  than  forty 
cows  and  heifers  were  included.  At  the  sale  of 
1875  twenty-one  head  brought  an  average  of 
$1,275  each.* 

Several  other  families,  including  the  Tellu- 
rias — descended  from  a  cow  of  that  name  bred 
by  Earl  Spencer  and  sold  to  Gol.  Towneley— 

*Mr.  Torr  regarded  Bates'  Duke  of  Northumberland  (1940)  as  the  "best 
show  bull"  he  ever  saw.  It  is  related  that  he  once  went  to  Kirklevington 
to  hire  the  4th  Duke  of  Northumberland,  believing  him  to  be  even  a  better 
bull  than  the  first  Duke.  An  agreement  as  to  price  was  made,  but  Mr. 
Bates  added  the  stipulation  that  the  bull  must  not  serve  more  than  twenty- 
five  cows.  Torr  replied  that  he  was  willing  to  pay  the  price  asked,  but 
could  not  permit  such  a  restriction  upon  his  use.  At  that  time  he  had 
about  thirty  cows  and  heifers.  Bates  repeated :  "I  should  not  like  him  to 
be  put  to  more  than  twenty-five  cows,"  whereupon  Mr.  Torr  dropped  the 
matter,  saying:  "Very  well,  Mr.  Bates,  you  have  got  your  bull  and  I  have 
got  my  money."  It  is  recorded  that  Mr.  Torr  had  expressed,  along  with 
many  other  of  Mr.  Bates'  visitors  that  year,  an  admiration  for  his  three 
cows  by  Whitaker's  Norfolk.  These  estimates  did  not  meet  with  Mr. 
Bates' approval,  and  he  finally  sold  two  out  of  tae  three,  to-wit.:  Blanch? 
ft!  and  Waterloo  3d,  as  some  alleged  "to  get  rid  of  the  eulogy.' 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  503 

were  included  in  the  herd  at  the  time  of  the 
sale,  but  we  have  not  space  to  supply  details 
concerning  them. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  such  animals  only 
as  brought  $3,000  or  upward  at  this  extraordi- 
nary sale.  As  in  the  case  of  the  foregoing  re- 
port of  the  Dunmore  sale,  the  English  prices 
are  reduced  to  their  equivalent  in  American 
gold,  which  was  at  that  date  at  a  premium 
which  rendered  the  English  guinea  worth 
$5.9787 : 

COWS  AND  HEIFERS. 

Bright  Empress,  roan,  calved  July  19,  1871;  got  by  Lord 
Napier  (26688)  out  of  Bright  Queen  by  Fitz-Clarence 
(14552)— Started  at  15,000,  sold  to  T.  C.  Booth,  Warlaby.  112,914 

Bright  Saxon,  roan,  calved'  Feb.  22,  1872;  got  by  Royal 
Prince  (27384)  out  of  Bright  Spangle  by  Prince  of  War- 
laby (15107)— T.  C.  Booth 8,997 

Highland  Flower,  roan,  calved  Aug.  6, 1868 ;  got  by  Mountain 
Chief  (20383)  out  of  Clarence  Flower  by  Fitz-Clarence 
(14552)— Rev.  T.  Staniforth 8,968 

Riby  Marchioness,  roan,  calved  March  31,  1875;  got  by 
Knight  of  the  Shire  (26552)  out  of  Riby  Peeress  by 
Breastplate  (19337)— Mr.  Crosby  of  Ireland 7,533 

Bright  Marchioness,  white,  calved  July  20,  1871;  got  by 
Lord  Napier  (25688)  out  of  Bright  Countess  by  Breast- 
plate (19337)  -H.  Chandos  Pole-Gell 7,084 

Bright  Spangle,  roan,  calved  March  8, 1866;  got  by  Prince 
of  Warlaby  (15107)  out  of  Bright  Dew  by  British  Prince 
(14197)— T.  C.  Booth 6,307 

Bright  Baroness,  roan,  calved  Aug.  21,  1870;  got  by  Lord 
Napier  (26G88)  out  of  Bright  Countess  by  Breastplate 
(19337)— Mr.  Mitchell  of  Scotland 5,978 

Bright  Design,  roan,  calved  Feb.  7,  1875,  got  by  Knight  of 
the  Shire  (26552)  out  of  Bright  Spangle  by  Prince  of 
Warlaby  (15107)— T.  C.  Booth 5,081 

Heather  Flower,  roan,  calved  July  10,1871;  got  by  Lord 
Napier  (26688)  out  of  Highland  Flower  by  Mountain 
Chief  (20382)-Rev.  Mr.  Staniforth 5,978 


504        A   HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Bright  Dowager,  red,  little  white,  calved  Nov.  12,  1873;  got 
by  Duke  of  York  (23804)  out  of  Bright  Queen  by  Fitz- 
Clarence  (14552)— B.  St.  John  Ackers $4,812 

Kiby  Pearl,  white,  calved  Jan.  1,  1874;  got  by  Knight  of  the 
Shire  (26552)  out  of  Riby  Peeress  by  Breastplate— Hugh 
Aylmer 4,643 

Bright  JeweJ,  roan,  calved  Feb.  1,  1874;  got  by  Knight  of 
the  Shire  (26552)  out  of  Bright  Spangle  by  Prince  of 
Warlaby  (15107)— T.  C.  Booth 4,633 

Flower  of  Germany,  red,  calved  April  13,  1869;  got  by 

Breastplate  (19337)— T.  H.  Miller 4,543 

Lowland  Flower,  roan,  calved  April  12, 1871 ;  got  by  Manfred 

(26801)— B.  St.  John  Ackers 4,782 

Foreign  Queen,  roan,  calved  March  7,  1873;  got  by  Blink- 
hoolie  (23428)  out  of  Foreign  Empress  by  Fitz-Royal 
(26167)— Mr.  Crosby  of  Ireland 4,812" 

Bright  Queen,  red-and-white,  calved  July  19,  1864;  got  by 
Fitz-Clarence  (14552)  out  of  Bright  Princess— Lady 
Pigot 4,484 

Riby  Empress,  red,  calved  Nov.  4,  1872;  got  by  Duke  of 

York  (23804) -J.  W.  &  E.  Cruickshank,  Scotland 4,484 

Flower  Alpine,  red-and-white,  calved  Oct.  11,  1870;  got  by 

Lord  Napier  (26688)— Mr.  McCulloch,  Australia 4,244 

Fair  Saxon,  red-and-white,  calved  March  11,1869;  got  by 

Breastplate  (19337)— B.  St.  John  Ackers 4,185 

Flower  of  Holland,  red,  little  white,  calved  Aug.  8, 1871; 

got  by  Breastplate  (19337)— Mr.  Wardle 4,065 

Riby  Lassie,  red,  calved  May  7,  1869;  got  by  Blinkhoolie 

(23428)  out  of  Riby  Countess-T.  C.  Booth 3,795 

Riby  Peeress,  roan,  calved  Sept.  18,  1865;  got  by  Breast- 
plate (19337)  out  of  Riby  Queen— T.  C.  Booth 3,587 

Bright  Swede,  roan,  calved  July  23,  1874;  got  by  Lord  Cain 

(31630)  out  of  Bright  Saxon— Mr.  Wilson 3,587 

Flower  of  Belgium,  roan,  calved  June  17, 1872 ;  got  by  Royal 

Prince  (27394)— Mr.  Phillips 3,587 

Foreign  Beauty,  roan,  calved  Feb.  26,  1875 ;  got  by  Knight 

of  the  Shire  (26552)  —Hugh  Aylmer 3,108 

War  luck,  red,  calved  Feb.  25,  1871;  got  by  Lord  Napier 
(26688)  out  of  a  Waterloo  dam— Mr.  McCulloch,  Aus- 
tralia    3,108 

Flower  of  the  Rhine,  roan,  calved  June  12,  1874;  got  by 

Knight  of  the  Shire  (26552)— Sir  William  S.  Maxwell. . .  3,049 


A    GOLDEN    AGE.  505 

Mountain  Vale,  red-and-white,  calved  Feb.  14,  1869 ;  got  by 

Blinkhoolie  (23428)— Mr.  Wilson $3,079 

BULLS. 

Riby  Knight,  roan,  calved  April  14,  1874 ;  got  by  Knight  of 
the  Shire  (26552)  out  of  Riby  Lassie  by  Blinkhoolie 
(23428)— J.  Marshall  of  New  Zealand 4,185 

Fandango,  roan,  calved  July  6,  1872 ;  got  by  Royal  Prince 
(27384)  out  of  Flower  of  Germany  by  Breastplate  (19337) 
—Sir  William  S.  Maxwell 4,185 

Balmoral,  roan,  calved  Feb.  17,  1875;  got  by  Knight  of  the 
Shire  (26552)  out  of  Bright  Queen  by  Fitz-Clarence 
(14552)— Rev.  J.  N.  Micklethwaite 4,185 

Lord  Lamech,  roan,  calved  Nov.  21,  1874;  got  by  Knight  of 
the  Shire  (26552)  out  of  Lady  Adah  by  Killerby  Monk 
(20053)— J.  H.  Pickrell,  Harristown,  111.,  U.  S.  A 3,348 

72  females  sold  for $215,585.30;  an  average  of $2,994.25 

13  bulls  sold  for 27,558.27 :  an  average  of 2,119  87 

85  animals  sold  for 243,144.57 ;  an  average  of 2,860.52 

Additional  importations, — Mr.  J.  H.  Pick- 
rell, who  was  among  the  Americans  present  at 
the  English  sales  of  1875,  made  two  shipments 
for  account  of  himself  and  Mr.  J.  H.  Kissinger 
of  Missouri.  The  first,  which  came  out  from 
London  in  August  along  with  some  Clydesdale 
horses,  long-wooled  and  Southdown  sheep  and 
Berkshire  pigs,  included  some  first-class  heifers 
from  the  noted  herd  of  Messrs.  Hosken  of  Corn- 
wall, a  pair  of  roan  Booth  heifers  from  Hugh 
Aylmer  of  West  Dereham  Abbey,  Norfolk,  and 
two  Bates-bred  yearlings  from  J.  W.  Larking, 
one  a  bull  and  the'  other  a  heifer,  and  both 
sired  by  Grand  Duke  of  Geneva  (28756).  The 
second  shipment  was  made  from  Glasgow  in 
September  and  included  Mr.  Pickrell's  pur- 


506        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

chases  at  the  Torr  sale,  the  $3,350  roan  bull 
Lord  Lamech,  the  red-and-white  bull  calf 
Flower  Lad,  the  red  "G"  cow  Germania,  the 
roan  Waterloo  heifer  Waterloo  Shield,  by 
Knight  of  the  Shire  (26552),  and  the  red  bull 
calf  2d  Marquis  of  Worcester  of  the  Bates  Wild 
Eyes  tribe  from  Dunmore  at  $900. 

Messrs.  Cochrane,  Beattie  and  Hope  of  Can- 
ada imported  in  October,  1875,  twenty-five 
head,  mainly  of  Bates  breeding;  and  on  the 
same  steamer  four  females  were  shipped  to  S. 
R.  Streator  of  Cleveland,  0.,  and  six  for  Albert 
Crane,  a  Chicago  capitalist  owning  the  Durham 
Park  Ranch  in  Kansas.  Tn  November  eleven 
head  were  imported  by  Mr.  Robert  Ashburner 
of  California. 

Coming  events  were  already  beginning  to 
cast  portentous  shadows  before.  Even  while 
speculation  in  stock  of  the  Bates  and  Booth 
tribes  was  at  its  very  heighth  shrewd  and  prac- 
tical men  were  turning  their  attention  to  the 
herds  of  Scotland,  hitherto  little  known  in 
America,  In  1874  Mr.  Robert  Milne,  a  former 
neighbor  .and  friend  of  Amos  Cruickshank  of 
Aberdeenshire,  had  imported  a  half-dozen  fe- 
males and  the  bull  Viscount  18507  from  the 
Cruickshank  herd.  Favorably  impressed  by 
these  Messrs.  Lowman  &  Smith  of  Toulon,  111., 
imported  during  the  summer  of  1875  seven  fe- 
males from  North  Britain,  including  two 


A   GOLDEN   AGE. 


507 


Cruickshank  Butterflys  and  a  Missie  from  the 
herd  of  Mr.  Marr  of  Uppermill;  but  of  these 
more  anon. 

Another  Renick  exportation.  —  Prominent 
English  dealers  in  cattle  of  the  Bates  blood 
continued  to  set  a  high  valuation  upon  Mr. 
Renick's  Rose  of  Sharons,  and  in  August,  1875, 
an  additional  shipment  selected  by  Simon  Beat- 
tie,  consisting  of  seven  cows  and  heifers,  was 
made  on  an  order  from  Earls  Dunmore  and 
Bective  at  a  reported  price  of  $25,000.  The 
Dunmore  purchase  consisted  of  the  roan  cow 
Poppy  5th,  by  13th  Duke  of  Airdrie;  Norah  7th, 
by  4th  Duke  of  Geneva,  and  Duchess  17th,  by 
same  sire,  which  were  in  England  christened 
respectively  Red  Rose  of  Luskentyre,  Red  Rose 
of  Dalmally  and  Red  Rose  of  Killigray.  Lord 
Bective  took  for  his  herd  at  Underley  Hall 
Rosebud  10th,  Duchess  16th  and  Lenora  2d,  all 
by  4th  Duke  of  Geneva,  and  Poppy  llth,  by 
Airdrie  3d.  These  were  also  given  titles  on  the 
other  side,  in  the  order  mentioned,  to  corre- 
spond with  the  English  Red  Rose  nomencla- 
ture as  follows:  Red  Rose  of  Tweeddale,  Red 
Rose  of  Annandale,  Red  Rose  of  Nithsdale  and 
Red  Rose  of  Eskdale. 

North  Elkhorn  (Ky.)  importation. — On  Oct. 
16,  1875,  a  sale  of  seventy-nine  head  was  made 
by  the  North  Elkhorn  Co.  in  Kentucky,  which 
resulted  in  an  average  of  $652  per  head.  This 


508       A   HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HOEN   CATTLE. 

company  had  made  an  importation  of  more 
than  forty  head  from  England  in  May,  1875; 
the  cattle  being  selected  by  Messrs.  Richardson 
&  Boswell  acting  as  agents  for  the  company. 
Some  of  the  animals  of  this  importation  after- 
ward acquired  high  rank  as  producers  of  first- 
class  stock.  Bates  blood  predominated  in  the 
shipment,  but  there  was  also  included  the  good 
cows  Lady  Seraphina  6th  and  Seraphina  Caris- 
sima  3d  of  Lord  Sudeley's  breeding.  There 
was  also  a  sprinkling  of  Knightley  and  Booth 
blood.  The  imported  cattle  were  sold  along 
with  a  lot  of  home-bred  stock  on  date  above 
mentioned,  top  prices  ranging  as  follows: 

Seraphina  3d— W.  H.  Richardson,  Kentucky $2,800 

Pretty  Miss  Prim— George  M.  Bedford,  Kentucky 2,400 

Georgia  Hillhurst— C.  M.  Clay,  Kentucky 2,050 

Acacia— E.  G.  Bedford,  Kentucky 1,900 

Georgia  Clarence— E.  L.  Davison,  Kentucky 1,900 

Lady  Seraphina  6th— John  R.  Craig,  Canada 1,600 

Surmise  Duchess  9th— T.  J.  Megibben,  Kentucky 1,575 

Lady  Seaham  of  Roseneath— W.  &  W.  Pickrell,  Illinois 1,500 

Brunette  8d— J.  W.  Burgess,  Kentucky 1,275 

fcjna— J.  G.  Kinnaird,  Kentucky 1,225 

Cateress— H.  C.  Hutchcraf  t,  Kentucky '. . , 1,225 

Duke  of  Wotton  2d— E.  L.  Davison,  Kentucky 1,225 

Bohemian  Knightley— E.  G.  Bedford,  Kentucky 1,050 

Alpha— H.  P.  Thomson 1,050 

Water  Girl— W.  L.  Grimes,  Kentucky 1,000 

Azalea  2d— W.  N,  Offutt,  Kentucky 1,000 

Closing  events  of  1875.— In  December,  1875, 
the  national  convention  was  held  at  Toronto 
under  the  Presidency  of  Mr.  Pickrell.  After 
adjournment  a  combination  sale  from  the  herds 


A   GOLDEN   AGE.  509 

of  J.  E.  Craig,  Col.  J.  B.  Taylor  and  Sumner  & 
Hilton  was  held,  at  which  Mr.  Cochrane  paid 
$4,000  for  Kirklevington  Duchess  18th.  Ayres 
&  McClintock  of  Kentucky  bought  the  17th 
Duke  of  Airdrie  at  $4,500,  and  Mr.  Ayres  took 
Grace  Sharon  at  $2,900.  Simon  Beattie  bid  off 
Duchess  of  Raby  at  $3,050,  and  S.  R.  Streator 
took  Grace  4th  at  $3,300.  Princesses  again 
commanded  good  prices,  quite  a  number  sell- 
ing at  from  $1,000  to  $2,200.  Mr.  Cochrane 
gave  $2,400  for  Careless  8th,  and  Groom  &  Son 
$3,700  for  Oneida  Rose.  A  pair  of  Constances 
fetched  $3,100,  and  the  bull  imp.  Baron  Hub- 
back  2d  went  to  M.  W.  Terrill  at  $2,500. 

During  the  year  1875  115  public  sales  of 
Short-horns  were  held  in  America,  at  which 
4,347  head  were  sold  for  a  total  of  $1,832,383, 
an  average  of  $422.  During  the  same  time 
there  were  sold  in  Great  Britain  fifty-five  lots, 
aggregating  2,355  head,  at  an  average  of  $515. 
One  of  the  characteristic  outgrowths  of  this  re- 
markable period  of  activity  in  the  trade  was 
the  appearance  of  Bailey's  Short-horn  Reporter, 
issued  from  the  office  of  Mr.  Allen,  proprietor 
of  the  American  Herd  Book.  It  was  a  quar- 
terly, modeled  on  the  general  lines  of  John 
Thornton's  invaluable  English  Short-horn  Cir- 
cular. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 


THE  TURN  OF  THE  TIDE. 

On  the  surface  there  was  still  great  appar- 
ent enthusiasm  on  the  basis  of  the  extraordi- 
nary range  of  values  already  established,  but 
the  trade  of  1876  developed  indications  that 
the  market  was  becoming  "top  heavy."  As 
is  usual  in  the  case  of  all  such  extensive 
speculations  there  had  been  a  great  expansion 
of  credits.  Notes  given  for  cattle  bought  at 
high  prices  were  beginning  to  mature.  Such 
paper  now  became  the  subject  of  closer  scru- 
tiny at  the  hands  of  prudent  bankers,  and  this 
fact  marked  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  the 
most  astounding  trade  in  pedigreed  cattle  to 
be  found  in  agricultural  history.  The  decline 
at  first  was  neither  sudden  nor  severe,  and  for 
several  seasons  great  prices  were  occasionally 
obtained.  In  fact  average  values  held  up  well 
under  heavy  offerings,  but  nevertheless  the 
waters  of  speculation  were  now  palpably  re- 
ceding. Space  admonishes  that  we  must  deal 
more  briefly  with  the  details  of  the  transac- 
tions attending  the  subsidence  of  the  "boom," 
and  we  shall  therefore  in  this  chapter  only 


THE  WOODBUHN-BRED  IOTH  DUCHESS  OF  AIRDRIE. 

Wliose  descendants  sold  for  sums  aggregating  nearly  $300,000. 


IMP.   MAID  OF  HONOR. 

Bred  by  T.  Game;  imported  1873  by  the  late  Simon  Beattie. 


THE   TURN   OF   THE   TIDE.  511 

sketch  the  most  noteworthy  events  during  the 
great  "down  turn"  in  values  marked  by  the 
period  extending  from  1876  to  1880. 

Hon.  George  Brown  and  Bow  Park. — In  the 
spring  of  1876  the  Hon.  George  Brown  of  Can- 
ada, one  of  the  most  remarkable  characters 
ever  identified  with  the  Short-horn  trade  in 
America,  proceeded  to  Scotland  (the  land  of 
his  birth)  and  through  the  assistance  of  his 
brothers-in-law  Messrs.  William  and  Thomas 
Nelson,  of  the  great  firm  of  Thomas  Nelson  & 
Sons,  organized  a  limited  company  under  the 
name  of  the  Canada  West  Farm  Stock  Associa- 
tion. While  this  enterprise  was  launched  at  a 
most  unfortunate  time  for  the  stockholders, 
and  was  therefore  foredoomed  to  ultimate 
financial  failure,  its  operations  were  so  exten- 
sive and  were  carried  forward  with  such  enter- 
prise that  a  deep  impression  was  made  upon 
the  fortunes  of  the  breed  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic. 

Mr.  Brown  had  come  to  Toronto  from  Edin- 
burg  as  a  young  man  and  had  worked  himself 
up  through  the  field  of  journalism  and  politics 
into  the  very  highest  circles  of  power  in  the 
Dominion.  He  had  for  many  years  been  pro- 
prietor of  the  Toronto  Globe,  a  paper  known 
all  over  Canada  as  "the  Scotchman's  bible." 
Personally  he  was  a  man  of  marked  force  of 
character,  and  his  vigorous  intellect,  combined 


512        A  HISTORY  OF  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

with  a  commanding  physique,  rendered  him 
one  of  the  most  conspicuous  figures  of  his  day. 
Inflexible,  as  a  rule,  in  his  dealings  with  others, 
and.  a  dictator  in  his  editorial  office,  he  failed 
to  control  the  political  elements  with  which 
he  came  in  contact,  but  animated  by  an  ambi- 
tion to  promote  the  material  interests  of  his 
adopted  country,  and  having  a  natural  taste 
for  agricultural  pursuits  he  took  up  first  at 
Bothwell,  a  small  town  west  of  London,  Ont., 
and  latterly  at  Bow  Park,  Brantford,  Ont.,  the 
business  of  farming.  Naturally  a  man  of  broad 
ideas  he  developed  at  Bow  Park  the  breeding 
of  Short-horn  cattle  upon  a  most  extensive 
basis.  In  June,  1874,  an  invoice  showed  that 
he  had  then  upon  the  farm  330  Short-horns,  of 
which  274  were  females  and  fifty-six  bulls.  At 
that  time  his  plan  was  to  rear  the  cattle  on 
what  is  known  as  the  " soiling"  system.  The 
Short-horns  were  never  turned  out  to  graze, 
but  had  green  food  during  the  summer  months 
and  dry  fodder,  along  with  beets  and  turnips, 
during  the  winter.*  In  addition  to  being  ex- 
ceedingly expensive  this  system  was,  of  course, 

*  While  in  attendance  at  some  of  the  Kentucky  sales  Mr.  Brown  com- 
mented in  the  most  complimentary  terms  upon  the  excellence  of  the  Ben  • 
ick  Hose  of  Sharons,  his  expression  ordinarily  being:  "  A  grand  lot  of  cat- 
tle; but  they  wight  to  bel  "  A  Kentuckian  finally  asked  the  Canadian  visi- 
tor what  he  meant  by  the  latter  part  of  his  remark.  He  replied  in 
Yankee  fashion  by  asking  the  question:  "  How  many  acres  in  Mr.  Renick's 
farm?"  He  was  informed:  "Mr.  Renick's  estate  consists,  sir,  of  about 
2,500  acres  of  the  best  blue-grass  land  in  Central  Kentucky,  sir."  To  which 
Mr.  Brown  rejoined:  "  I  believe  that  great  body  of  land  carries  only  a  herd 
of  100  cattle.  We  have  had  at  Bow  Park  350  head  upon  900  acres." 


THE    TURN   OF    THE    TIDE.  513 

unnatural.  The  herd  at  that  time  consisted 
mainly  of  cattle  of  mixed  breeding,  good  indi- 
vidually, as  a  rule,  but  in  the  belief  that  some- 
thing still  better  existed  the  enterprising 
proprietor  decided  upon  a  change  of  base. 
The  Nelson  alliance  was  perfected  and  the 
original  herd  disposed  of  at  low  prices,  but  for 
many  years  following  its  practical  value  was 
reflected  throughout  the  whole  of  Canada  in 
the  steers  produced  upon  the  Dominion  farms. 

The  Canada  West  Farm  Stock  Association, 
with  a  capitalization  of  $400,000,  made  its  ini- 
tial importation  by  the  Polynesian  from  Liver- 
pool in  June,  1876,  which  was  followed  in  July 
by  two  other  shipments,  aggregating  in  all 
some  seventy-five  head  of  high-priced  Bates- 
bred  cattle.  It  was  the  plan  of  the  company 
to  import  only  animals  of  the  finest  individual 
quality  belonging  to  the  most  popular  strains 
of  blood,  and  something  like  $200,000  was  rep- 
resented by  its  investments  in  cattle,  horses, 
sheep  and  pigs. 

4th  Duke  of  Clarence. —  In  the  shipment 
that  came  out  from  Liverpool  in  July,  1876, 
by  the  good  ship  Circassian  was  a  long,  lank, 
undeveloped  roan  yearling  bull,  bred  by  Col. 
Gunter  of  Wetherby  Grange  and  sired  by  18th 
Duke  of  Oxford  (25595)  out  of  Duchess  109th 
by  2d  Duke  of  Claro  (21576).  Mr.  Brown  was 
so  little  enamored  of  this  youngster  upon  his 


514         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

arrival  that  his  first  idea  was  to  return  him  to 
England  and  have  him.  resold.  Fortunately  fot 
himself  and  the  Bow  Park  Short-horns  better 
counsel  prevailed.  It  was  pointed  out  that  the 
calf  had  been  badly  kept  on  a  farm  on  the 
Yorkshire  "wolds"  and  had  proved  a  poor 
sailor  on  the  Atlantic.  He  was  accordingly  re- 
tained at  Bow  Park  and  lived  to  develop  into 
the  crowning  glory  of  that  great  Short-horn 
breeding  establishment ;  known  to  Short-horn 
fame  for  all  time  to  come  under  the  title  of  4th 
Duke  of  Clarence.  He  developed  all  of  the  best 
points  of  Mr.  Bates'  old  type,  with  few  of  the 
defects  shown  by  many  of  his  carelessly-bred 
relations.  Maturing  into  a  massive,  mellow- 
fleshed  bull  of  beautiful  quality,  grand  breed 
character  and  commanding  presence  the  4th 
Duke  was  the  pride  of  his  day  and  generation 
among  the  adherents  of  Bates  Short-horns  in 
the  new  world.  Mated  with  the  many  good 
cows  and  heifers  imported  and  bought  for  the 
Bow  Park  Herd,  and  under  the  skillful  manage- 
ment of  the  late  John  Hope — who  took  charge 
of  the  herd  in  1878 — he  sired  many  valuable 
cattle  that  gained  high  honors  in  the  show- 
yards  of  Canada  and  the  United  States,  con- 
spicuous among  which  may  be  mentioned  the 
celebrated  white  bullock  Clarence  Kirkleving- 
ton,  champion  of  the  American  Fat-Stock  Show 
of  1884.  The  4th  Duke  proved  not  only  a  great 


THE   TURN   OF   THE   TIDE.  515 

stock-getter  but  was  also  shown  with  success 
at  Cleveland  (Ohio),  Toronto  and  London  in 
1878  and  1879.  He  remained  at  the  head  of 
the  Bow  Park  Herd  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1887. 

Opening  sales  of  1876.— The  sales  this  year 
opened  in  Iowa,  where  a  large  number  of  cat- 
tle were  offered  at  West  Liberty  and  Des  Moines. 
No  sensational  prices  were  made  except  at  S. 
W.  Jacobs'  sale,  where  2d  Peri  of  Lyndale  was 
bid  off  at  $7,050  by  D.  S.  Bussing  of  New  York. 
D.  M.  Flynn  took  Roan  Princess  at  $3,900.  Bus- 
sing bought  Lucy  Napier  at  $2,475,  and  Minnie 
Annandale  2d  for  $2,500.  For  London's  Minnie 
D.  Wilson  of  West  Liberty  gave  $2,550.  For 
Nelly  Bly  7th  Rigdon  Huston  of  Illinois  paid 
$1,975.  The  bull  Oxford  of  Springwood  fetched 
$2,000  from  John  R.  Owens  of  Illinois.  Jacobs' 
146  head  brought  $86,895,  an  average  of  $595. 
C.  S.  Barclay  sold  eighty-eight  head  for  $27,275, 
and  Campbell  &  Chase  ninety-seven  head  for 
$27,446. 

In  Illinois  Davis  Lowman  of  Toulon  held  a 
sale  which  was  topped  by  the  Cruickshank  cow 
Red  Lady  3d,  bought  by  W.  &  W.  Pickrell  for 
$1,200.  A.  J.  Dunlap  paid  $1,010  for  the  Scotch- 
bred  imp.  Lovely  18th,  and  at  the  same  sale 
Winfield  Scott,  Wyoming,  111.,  bought  Miss 
Wiley  of  Green  Lawn  for  $1,100,  and  J.  H. 
Spears  paid  $1,005  for  the  bull  Sam  Wiley 


516         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

12880.  At  A.  J.  Dunlap's  sale  Mr.  Spears  paid 
$1,300  for  Fanny  Hunt  5th,  and  George  Otley 
of  Neponset,  111.,  $1,060  for  Sonsie  Lass  2d. 

Potts  buys  imp.  Duke  of  Richmond. — At 
Springfield,  111.,  on  May  3  J.  H.  Kissinger  sold 
twenty-two  cattle  for  $25,335,  an  average  of 
$1,152.  D.  A.  Rouner  of  Newark,  Mo.,  bid  off 
the  bull  2d  Marquis  of  Worcester  at  $3,000  and 
the  cow  Knightley  Belle  at  $2,275.  J.  H.  Potts 
&  Son  bought  the  Scotch-bred  imp.  Duke  of 
Richmond  for  $2,250,  the  cow  Mattie  Richard- 
son at  $1,805,  and  2d  Louan  of  Linwood  at 
$1,850.  W.  &  W.  Pickrell  took  Caroline  Coch- 
rane  at  $2,100.  A.  E.  Kimberley  of  West  Lib- 
erty paid  $2,700  for  Loudon  Duchess  of  Bedford. 
Mr.  J.  H.  Pickrell  owned  a  half  interest  in  the 
cow  last  named,  and  at  the  same  time  and 
place  sold  ten  head  of  cattle  at  an  average  of 
$862,  including  Countess  of  Cornwall  at  $2,050 
to  Col.  Robert  Holloway  and  Countess  of  Ox- 
ford 4th  at  $1,500  to  James  N.  Brown's  Sons0 
On  the  following  day  Messrs.  Spears,  lies,  et  al.3 
sold  at  Springfield ;  Harvey  Sodowsky  paying 
$1,600  for  Airdrie  Bloom,  and  Winslow  Bros,  of 
Kankakee  $1,025  for  Prairie  Blossom. 

Col.  Holloway's  big  average. — On  May  25 
Col.  Robert  Holloway  sold  sixty-three  cattle 
at  Dexter  Park,  Chicago,  for  an  average  of 
$1,087.  The  top  price  was  $4,250,  given  by  A. 
J.  Streeter  of  New  Windsor,  111.,  for  Rose  of 


THE    TURN    OF    THE    TIDE.  517 

Sharon  of  Durham  Lawn.  The  next  was  $3,925, 
paid  by  F.  J.  Barbee  of  Kentucky  for  London 
Duchess  15th.  For  the  bull  imp.  Oxford  Beau 
2d  the  West  Liberty  breeders  gave  $3,800.  For 
1st  Rose  of  Sharon  of  Durham  Lawn  John 
Hope,  then  in  business  at  Markham,  Ont.,  gave 
$3,200.  For  the  Princess  cow  4th  Tuberose  of 
Brattleboro  George  Otley  paid  $3,025.  For 
Roan  Duchess  7th  of  Bow  Park  Streeter  gave 
$3,250.  For  llth  Belle  Duchess  of  Plumwood 
William  Thomson's  Sons  of  Kentucky  paid 
$3,050.  Streeter  also  gave  $2,750  for  imp.  Wa- 
terloo J.,  $1,700  for  Roan  Duchess  7th  of  Au- 
vergne,  $1,250  for  Lady  Goodness  and  $1,425  for 
the  bull  Grand  Airdrie  19894.  Mr.  Pogue  of 
Kentucky  gave  $2,500  for  Geneva  Duchess  of 
Goodness. 

On  the  following  day  W.  B.  Dodge  sold  at 
Chicago;  the  highest  price  obtained  being 
11,800  for  the  Princess  cow  7th  Lady  Sale 
of  Brattleboro,  bought  by  Bailey  &  Goodspeed 
of  Wisconsin.  The  same  parties  purchased 
9th  Lady  Sale  of  Brattleboro  at  $1,500.  S. 
W.  Jacobs  of  West  Liberty  took  tliQ  famous 
Game-bred  Murray  cow  imp.  Maid  of  Honor  at 
$1,525  and  imp.  Nectar  at  $1,000.  At  a  sale 
from  the  herd  of  Nelson  Jones  next  day  Pliny 
Nichols  of  West  Liberty  gave  $1,050  for  2d  Red 
Rose  of  Woodside,  and  P.  A.  Coen,  Washburn, 
111.,  paid  $1,000  for  Baron  Bates  4th. 


518         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

At  the  Meredith  sale  at  Cambridge  City,  Ind., 
in  June  fifty-two  head  brought  $20,555,  the 
most  notable  transaction  of  the  day  being  the 
purchase  of  4th  Mazurka  of  Chesterfield  by 
Walter  Handy  of  Kentucky  at  $2,525.  At  Ste- 
phen Dunlap's  sale  in  Illinois  Gen.  C.  E.  Lip- 
pincott  gave  $1,800  for  imp.  Jubilee  Gwynne. 

Albert  Crane  pays  $23,600  for  an  Airdrie 
Duchess. — At  Cochrane,  Beattie  and  Hope's 
sale  in  Canada  Albert  Crane  of  Chicago,  whose 
purchases  of  cattle  for  his  17,000-acre  ranch  at 
Durham  Park,  Kan.,  have  already  been  men- 
tioned, came  into  the  market  for  Duchesses, 
and  took  Airdrie  Duchesses  2d  and  3d  at  $21,- 
000  and  $23,600  respectively.  J.  P.  Foster  of 
England  bought  Wild  Eyes  Lassie  at  $4,500. 
Col.  Le  GL  B.  Cannon,  a  wealthy  Vermonter, 
took  Kirklevington  Duchess  18th  at  $4,000. 
Messrs.  W.  &  W.  Pickrell  of  Illinois  bought  the 
bull  Baron  Siddington  at  $2,200.  The  fifty- 
four  head  averaged  $1,709.  About  this  same 
date  Avery  &  Murphy  of  Port  Huron,  Mich., 
purchased  Airdrie  Duchess  5th  as  a  calf  from 
Mr.  Cochrane  for  $18,000.  At  a  sale  by  John 
Snell's  Sons,  held  in  Canada  at  same  time,  W. 
Williams  of  Massachusetts  gave  $1,520  for 
Lady  Seraphina  6th,  and  N.  G.  Pond  of  Milford, 
Conn.,  $1,800.  Hon.  George  Brown  of  Bow 
Park  sold  at  Toronto  in  this  same  series,  re- 
ceiving $1,500  from  John  R.  Craig  for  3d  Duch- 


THE    TURN    OF    THE    TIDE.  519 

ess  of  Springwood,  and  $1,000  from  S.  W. 
Jacobs  of  Iowa  for  Mazurka  10th.  Messrs.  A. 
H.  &  I.  B.  Day  sold  at  Keokuk,  la.,  on  June  15, 
West  Liberty  breeders  proving  the  best  buyers. 
Messrs.  Jacobs  &  Wilson  bought  the  three 
Scotch-bred  females  imp.  Golden  Drop  1st, 
Golden  Drop  A.  and  Golden  Drop  B.  at  $1,000, 
$1,475  and  $1,275  respectively.  D.  Wilson  & 
Son  also  bought  Louan  of  Van  Buren  at  $1,200. 
$17,900  for  14th  Duke  of  Thorndale.— At 
the  Kentucky  summer  sales  of  1876  the  highest 
price  ever  made  in  America  for  a  bull* of  any 
breed  was  obtained  for  the  14th  Duke  of 
Thorndale  (28459).  He  was  sold  by  George  M. 
Bedford  and  knocked  off  at  $17,900  to  Mr.  W.  C. 
Vanmeter  of  Winchester,  Ky.,  bidding  for  Levi 
Goff  of  Paris,  a  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Bedford's. 
At  this  same  sale  A.  L.  Niccolls  of  Ottawa, 
Kan.,  bought  $18,000  worth  of  stock — twelve 
head — including  Lady  Bates  6th  at  $6,000,  the 
bull  Imperial  Bates  at  $3,300,  and  the  20th 
Duchess  of  Goodness  at  $2,100.  The  security 
tendered  on  his  notes,  however,  was  not  satis- 
factory and  the  cattle  remained  at  Mr.  Bed- 
ford's. Mr.  Embry  of  Richmond,  Ky.,  took 
Airdrie  Belle  at  $2,750,  Airdrie  Belle  3d  at 
$4,050,  and  Oneida  Belle  at  $2,000.  At  a  sale 
made  by  B.  J.  Clay,  Hall  &  Taylor  and  B.  F. 
Bedford  eighty-one  cattle  sold  for  an  average 
of  $400.  Brown  and  Gregg  of  Canada  paid 


520        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

$1,425  for  Roan  Duchess  12th,  and  H.  C.  Smith 
of  Kentucky  $2,750  for  Cambridge  Rose  5th. 
A  pair  of  Valley  Princesses  brought  $2,300  from 
Corbin  &  Patterson.  At  Leslie  Combs'  sale 
Hon.  George  Brown  and  Maj.  Gregg  paid  $1,400 
for  Moss  Rose  2d.  At  Walter  Handy's  Ware 
&  McGoodwin  of  Kentucky  bought  4th  Mazurka 
of  Chesterfield  for  $1,740.  On  Aug.  17  at  Chil- 
licothe,  0.,  George  Grimes  and  others  sold  fifty- 
three  cattle  for  $17,680.  At  this  sale  John 
Montgomery  of  Granville,  0.,  paid  $1,000  each 
for  Oxford  Gwynnes  2d  and  6th  and  Rose  of 
Cashmere.  J.  S.  Kirk  of  Washington  C.-H. 
gave  the  same  for  Elsie. 

Closing  events  of  1876. — In  the  autumn  of 
this  year  Ware  &  McGoodwin  of  Kentucky  sold 
the  3d  Duke  of  Oneida  at  public  sale  for  $6,800 
to  Ayres,  Barton  &  Hutchcraft  of  same  State. 
At  a  sale  by  H.  P.  Thomson  in  Kentucky  forty- 
one  head  averaged  $977.  Quite  a  lot  of  Prin- 
cesses were  included  and  a  determined  effort 
was  made  to  secure  long  prices  for  them. 
Winslow  Bros,  of  Illinois  took  4th  Princess  of 
the  Valley  at  $2,200;  Col.  J.  B.  Taylor  of  Canada 
Princess  of  the  Valley  at  $2,450;  Hon.  M.  H. 
Cochrane  2d  Princess  of  the  Valley  at  $2,500, 
and  CoL  Simms  of  Kentucky  Highland  Maid 
6th  at  $1,650.  For  the  Bates-bred  2d  Duchess 
of  Kirklevington  F.  J.  Barbee  gave  $2,000  and 
Belle  Duchess  was  bid  off  by  Joseph  Julian  of 


THE   TURN    OF   THE   TIDE.  521 

Bainbridge,  N.  Y.,  at  $4,000.  At  Bush  &  Hamp- 
ton's sale  Abner  Strawn  of  Illinois  gave  $2,050 
for  Geneva  Rose.  At  J.  V.  Grigsby's  no  less 
than  thirteen  head  sold  in  the  four  figures;  the 
Hamiltons  of  Mount' Sterling,  Ky.,  took  Sharon 
Rose  at  $3,400;  Col.  Simms  bought  Geneva 
Rose  at  $2,325,  and  W.  C.  Vanmeter  several 
high-priced  lots.  The  $1,000  mark  was  also 
passed  several  times  at  the  sales  of  Robinson, 
Bean  and  the  Hamiltons.  In  connection  .with 
Ay  res  &  McClintock's  sale  August  Whitman 
sold  two  Princesses  (Tuberoses)  to  T.  L.  Mc- 
Keen  of  Easton,  Pa.,  for  $2,750. 

During  1876  there  were  sold  at  auction  sale 
in  America  4,014  animals  for  $1,366,805,  an  av- 
erage of  $341.28.  Of  these  1,151  head  were  sold 
in  Illinois  for  $395,005,  1,011  head  in  Kentucky 
for  $373,830,  751  head  in  Iowa  for  $232,475. 
The  general  average  was  $41  below  that  for 
1875.  In  Great  Britain  2,802  head  were  sold 
at  auction  for  $728,270,  an  average  of  $260 
each. 

B.  B.  Groom  &  Son  shipped  six  more  Renick 
Rose  of  Sharons  this  year  to  England,  and  also 
sold  the  6th  Duke  of  Kirklevington  (30182)  to 
J.  R.  Shelley  of  Freeport,  111.,  for  $5,000.  An- 
other event  of  general  interest  this  season  was 
the  removal  of  Messrs.  A.  M.  Winslow's  Sons 
(Henry  and  Peleg),  with  their  herd  of  Prin- 
cesses, from  Putney,  Vt.,  to  Kankakee,  111. 


522         A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Pickrell  &  Kissinger. — In  the  early  spring 
of  1877  Messrs.  J.  H,  Pickrell  and  J.  H.  Kissin- 
ger pooled  their  valuable  Short-horn  holdings, 
one  half,  headed  by  imp.  Flower  Lad  23170 
(Torr-Booth)  and  Baron  Siddington  (Bates), 
being  maintained  at  Clarksville,  Mo.,  and  the 
other  portion,  with  the  imp.  Lord  Lamech 
(34578),  at  Harristown,  111.  We  have  already 
detailed  at  some  length  Mr.  Pickrell's  promi- 
nent identification  with  Western  Short-horn 
interests,  and  have  made  some  allusion  to  Mr. 
Kissinger's  successful  operations.  Some  fur- 
ther facts  in  reference  to  the  latter's  connec- 
tion with  the  trade  will  be  of  interest. 

Mr.  Kissinger  was  born  in  Pike  Co.,  Mo.,  in 
1840  from  Kentucky  parentage.  Reared  on  a 
farm  and  possessed  of  great  natural  love  for 
agricultural  pursuits,  he  developed  a  deep  in- 
terest in  Short-horns  and  in  1867  made  his  first 
appearance  in  Western  show-yards.  At  the 
Illinois  State  Fair  of  that  year  he  exhibited  a 
grade  Short-horn  steer  four  years  old  weighing 
2,400  Ibs.,  to  which  a  first  prize  was  awarded. 
The  bullock  was  afterward  sold  to  J.  H.  Spears 
for  $300.  It  was  here  that  Mr.  Kissinger  made 
his  first  purchases,  buying  the  cows  Dove  3d 
(A.  H.  B.,  Vol.  VIII,  p.  316)  and  Beauty  (Vol. 
VIII,  p.  257);  the  latter  proving  a  grand  show 
animal,  beaten  at  St.  Louis  in  1871  only  by  Col. 
King's  renowned  imp.  Rosedale.  Kissingers 


THE    TURN    OF   THE    TIDE.  523 

next  purchase  was  at  J.  H.  Spears'  sale  in  1868 
where  he  bought  the  cow  Iva  Jones  (Vol.  XV, 
p.  608)  and  her  bull  calf  Duke  of  Airdrie  9800, 
which  stood  at  the  head  of  his  herd  for  four 
years  and  proved  a  successful  show  bull  as  well 
as  a  sire  of  prize-winners.  The  next  addition 
to  his  herd  consisted  of  four  females  from  Mr. 
PickrelPs,  bought  in  1869.  Among  these  was 
Caroline  Airdrie  (Vol.  IX,  p.  519),  which  was 
sold  in  1871  to  Thomas  S.  Page  of  California 
for  $1,800.  From  1870  to  1872  he  made  numer- 
ous purchases  of  females  in  Kentucky,  and  in 
June,  1873,  made  his  first  sale  at  Linwood 
Farm,  his  residence  in  Pike  Co.,  Mo.,  when  fifty 
head  brought  an  average  of  $400.  In  1874  he 
purchased  largely  from  the  best  Kentucky 
herds,  securing  Kissinger's  Breastplate  17476  at 
six  months  old  at  $1,250.  His  next  purchase 
was  the  yearling  Cruickshank  heifer  imp.  Or- 
ange Blossom  18th  for  $2,500,  which  he  kept 
for  one  year  and  sold  to  Mrs.  Kimberly  of  West 
Liberty  for  $3,500  He  also  bought  the  after- 
ward celebrated  Scotch-bred  bull  imp.  Duke  of 
Richmond,  subsequently  so  famous  in  the  herd 
of  Messrs.  Potts.  Mr.  Kissinger  was  one  of  the 
first  to  recognize  the  great  merit  of  the  Aber- 
deenshire  Short-horns  on  this  side  of  the  water. 
Indeed  imp.  Duke  of  Richmond  laid  the  foun- 
dation for  their  later  popularity  in  this  coun- 
try. In  1875  he  bought  a  car-load  of  Cruick- 


524        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

shank-bred  cattle  from  James  I.  Davidson  of 
Canada.  At  the  great  Western  fairs  that  year 
his  herd,  headed  by  imp.  Duke  of  Richmond, 
and  including  the  cows  Mattie  Richardson, 
Caroline  Cochrane,  Caroline  Pickrell,  2d  Louan 
of  Linwood,  and  Pretty  Jemima  2d,  won  first 
prize  at  Jacksonville,  111.;  Hannibal,  Mo.;  the 
Illinois  and  Iowa  State  Fairs,  at  St.  Louis  and 
Louisiana,  Mo.  The  cattle  were  then  sold  at 
auction,  as  already  detailed.  The  famous  show 
herd  of  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son  was  largely  founded 
from  this  stock. 

Messrs.  Pickrell  &  Kissinger  were  for  years 
ruling  spirits  at  our  Western  shows.  During  a 
period  of  twelve  years,  running  from  1867  to 
1879,  cattle  shown  in  their  names  won,  in  com- 
petition with  the  best  herds  of  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  prizes  aggregating  $40,000. 
Their  aim  was'ever  individual  merit  in  the  an- 
imal and  the  promotion  of  the  best  interests  of 
the  breed.  Lavish  in  their  expenditures  for 
high-class  Short-horns,  enterprising  and  per- 
sistent in  their  efforts  at  demonstrating  the 
excellence  of  the  breed  in  the  great  show- 
yards  of  the  West,  it  is  but  simple  justice  to 
record  that  no  men  ever  connected  with  the 
American  Short-horn  trade  have  done  more  to 
set  up  correct  standards  and  further  the  sub- 
stantial interests  of  Short-horns  on  this  side  of 
the  Atlantic. 


THE    TURN    OF   THE    TIDE.  525 

Spring  sales  of  1877. — The  opening  sales  of 
1877  were  disappointing,  but  at  John  Bond's 
at  Abingdon,  111.,  the  Scotch-bred  imp.  Missie 
39th,  of  Marr's  breeding;  brought  $1,040  from 
J.  McClellari  of  Astoria,  111.,  and  imp.  Butterfly 
45th,  from  Sittyton,  fetched  $1,000  from  George 
Chase  of  West  Liberty,  la.  At  S.  W.  Jacobs' 
sale  at  West  Liberty  A.  Shropshire  of  Monroe, 
la.,  gave  $1,600  for  the  Cruickshank  heifer  Vil- 
lage Girl  and  $1,550  for  Lucy  Napier.  C.  Mc- 
Cune  of  Solon,  la.,  paid  $1,460  for  the  Bates 
cow  imp.  Acomb  Belle,  $1,200  for  the  Scotch- 
bred  imp.  Golden  Drop  2d,  11,000  for  Golden 
Drop  A.,  and  $1,120  for  imp.  Maid  of  Honor, 
taking  also  the  Bates  bull  imp.  Underley  Wild 
Eyes  at  $700.  A  cross  of  this  bull  upon  the 
Golden  Drops  produced  the  branch  of  this 
fine  Kinellar  family  that  afterward  became 
so  celebrated  in  the  herd  of  Col.  W.  A.  Harris 
at  Lin  wood,  Kan.  At  a  sale  by  Abner  Strawn 
at  Dexter  Park,  Chicago,  May  8  Trimble  & 
Henshaw  of  Plattsburg,  Mo.,  gave  $2,425  for 
Geneva  Rose,  and  William  E.  Simms  of  Ken- 
tucky $1,500  for  Grace  3d.  During  the  same 
series  C.  A.  De  Graff  of  Minnesota  paid  $3,000 
for  Peri's  Duchess,  and  William  Slater  of  Mass- 
achusetts $1,500  for  7th  Lady  Sale  of  Brattle- 
boro — both  sold  by  Bailey  &  Goodspeed  of  Wis- 
consin. At  Lippincott  &  Spears'  sale  at  the 
same  place  Gen.  Lippincott  bid  off  the  22d 


5'26        A   HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Duchess  of  Airdrie  for  $15,000,  and  the  21st 
Duke  of  Airdrie  was  knocked  down  to  William 
Babcock  of  Canton,  111.,  at  $8,000.  On  June'  6 
the  22d  Duke  of  Airdrie  was  sold  by  Richard 
Gibson  at  London,  Ont.,  to  Col.  Le  G.  B.  Cannon 
of  Vermont  for  $4,900;  Rosy  Princess  2d  to 
Winslow  &  Wadsworth  for  $1,250;  Rosy  Prin- 
cess 5th  to  A.  L.  Stebbins  of  Detroit  for  $1,225; 
Ursuline  3d  at  $1,500  and  Constance  of  Lyndale 
6th  at  $1,000  to  Col.  Cannon;  thirty-nine  head 
averaging  $591.  On  the  same  day  John  Hope 
sold  Kirklevington  Duchess  8th  to  U.  J.  Harris 
of  Webster,  Mass.,  for  $2,300,  and  Duchess  of 
Clarence  12th  at  $1,500  and  Docile  at  $1,225  to 
Hon.  George  Brown  of  Bow  Park.  At  the  same 
sale  T.  L.  Harison  of  New  York  sold  the  Prin- 
cess Lady  Gertrude  to  Winslow  &  Wadsworth 
for  $4,000.  Shortly  after  this  sale  Mr.  Hope 
took  charge  of  the  herd  at  Bow  Park.  During 
the  summer  Messrs.  Winslow  sold  six  young 
Princess  bulls  at  an  average  price  of  $1,000 
each,  the  19th  Duke  of  Airdrie  being  in  service 
in  their  herd  at  the  time. 

At  S.  Meredith  &  Sons'  summer  sale  the 
Messrs.  Hamilton  of  Mount  Sterling,  Ky., 
bought  the  20th  Duke  of  Airdrie  for  $6,975.  In 
their  Flat  Creek  Herd  this  bull  afterward  left 
a  very  valuable  set  of  heifers;  many  of  which 
were  introduced  into  prominent  Western  herds. 
He  seemed  to  "  nick  "  particularly  well  with  the 


THE   TURN   OF   THE    TIDE.  527 

Young  Marys,  Rose  of  Sharons,  and  Josephines 
of  which  the  Hamilton  herd  was  so  largely 
composed. 

At  A.  E.  Kimberley's  sale  at  West  Liberty, 
la.,  S.  W.  Jacobs  bought  Breastplate  11431  at 
$5,000.  J.  H.  Bowman  of  Waverly,  la.,  gave 
$1,010  for  the  bull  Jubilee's  Breastplate,  $2,025 
for  Jubilee  Napier,  and  $1,750  for  Jubilee  Na- 
pier 2d.  At  Wilson  &  Sons'  sale  at  West  Lib- 
erty Mr.  McCune,  Solon,  la.,  added  to  his  herd 
imp.  Golden  Drop  2d  at  $1,160.  At  S.  C.  Dun- 
can's sale  in  Missouri  B.  F.  Winn  gave  $1,200 
for  Duke  of  Tuberose  26408.  At  C.  L.  Vanme- 
ter's  summer  sale  in  Kentucky  Messrs.  Hamil- 
ton were  free  buyers,  taking  Ophelia's  Geneva 
at  $1,350  and  7th  Belle  of  Bath  at  $1,000.  At 
Mr.  Barbee's  sale  in  Kentucky  the  Hamiltons 
gave  $1,570  for  Loudon  Duchess  15th  and  John 
Hope  bought  two  Kirklevingtons  at  $1,225 
each. 

Cochrane  at  Windermere, — On  Sept.  4,  1877, 
at  Bowness,  Cumberland,  amid  the  beauteous 
surroundings  of  the  Lake  district  of  North- 
western England,  so  famed  in  poetry  and  song, 
the  Hon.  M.  H.  Cochrane  of  Hillhurst,  Can., 
offered  at  public  sale  thirty-two  head  exported 
for  this  purpose  from  Canada,  along  with 
eleven  head  belonging  to  Simon  Beattie.  Mr. 
Cochrane  had  been  from  the  beginning  one  of 
the  clearest-sighted  men  identified  with  the 


528        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Short-horn  trade.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to 
profit  by  the  rising  tide  of  Short-horn  values  in 
America  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War;  en- 
gaged boldly  and  profitably  in  the  early  Duch- 
ess speculations,  made  numerous  sales  at  high 
prices  to  leading  buyers  on  both  sides  the  At- 
lantic, and  when  he  observed  that  America  was 
not  taking  kindly  to  the  high-priced  Booths, 
began  turning  them  back  upon  the  English 
market.  In  the  fall  of  1875  he  sold  to  Mr.  A. 
H.  Browne  of  Northumberland  five  Booth  heif- 
ers at  a  reported  price  of  $17,500.  During  that 
same  year  he  exported  Royal  Commander 
(29857)  and  sold  him  at  the  Aylesby  sale  for 
1,150  guineas  to  Hugh  Aylmer.  In  August, 
1876,  he  shipped  two  heifers  and  three  year- 
ling bulls,  also  of  Booth  blood,  to  Scotland,  and 
in  1877,  as  above  mentioned,  he  appeared  at 
Windermere  with  a  group  of  cattle  deep  in  the 
most  fashionable  Warlaby  blood.*  Believing 
also  that  the  English  market  at  this  time 
afforded  a  better  prospect  for  high  prices  for 
Bates  cattle  than  America  he  included  in  this 
shipment  the  red  Duchess  heifers  3d  and  5th 

*  Mr.  Cochrane  attributed  the  failure  of  the  Booths  to  score  a  specula 
tive  success  in  America  during  this  period  largely  to  the  fact  that  Ameri- 
can buyers  at  that  time  insisted,  as  a  rule,  upon  fine  style  and  finish.  The 
Booths,  more  especially  the  bulls,  were  somewhat  inclined  to  roughness 
about  their  heads,  having  been  bred  more  for  flesh  and  constitution  than 
for  refinement.  Again  they  ran  strongly  toward  light  colors.  Another 
reason  was  found  in  the  fact  that  quite  a  number  of  the  high-priced  im- 
ported Booth  cows  and  heifers  had  failed  to  breed. 


THE   TURN    OF   THE   TIDE.  529 

Duchesses  of  Hillhurst  and  the  2d  Duke  of  Hill- 
hurst. 

The  event  demonstrated  that  Mr.  Cochrane's 
judgment  was,  as  usual,  not  at  fault.*  The 
yearling  5th  Duchess  of  Hillhurst  was  taken 
by  Earl  Bective  at  4,300  guineas,  the  highest 
price  ever  paid  for  a  cow  in  Great  Britain;  the 
yearling  3d  Duchess  went  to  R.  Loder  at  4,100 
guineas,  and  the  six-year-old  2d  Duke  of  Hill- 
hurst to  A.  H.  Longman  at  800  guineas.  The 
Bates-bred  heifers  Marchioness  of  Barrington 

*  This  sale  was  one  of  the  few  events  in  Short-horn  history  to  which  a 
genuine  international  interest  attached.  While  no  American  bidders  were 
present  the  occasion  stirred  the  British  Short-horn  breeding  fraternity  to 
its  very  depths.  Senator  Cochrane  had  shrewdly  baited  his  hook  to  attract 
the  heavy-weigrhts  of  both  the  Bates  and  Booth  factions.  The  excitement 
was  intense,  as  record  prices  were  made  on  the  Duchess  heifers,  and  after 
the  sale  a  rather  clever  parody  entitled  "The  Farmada,  by  Thomas  Bab- 
blington  Mock-a-lay,"  appeared  in  the  London  Liver-Stock  Journal,  from 
which  we  make  the  following  excerpts: 

"High  on  his  break  sits  Bective;  meek  near  the  ring  stands  Torr. 
While  Staniforth  with  Loder  hold  with  Allsopp  friendly  war; 
There  is  Crosbie  from  wild  Kerry  and  Foster  from  Killhow, 
There  is  Salt  from  busy  Bradford  and  Longman  from  'The  Bow;' 
The  rival  strains  commingle  and  forget  their  deadly  hates, 
As  now  the  cry's  for  Booth  blood  and  now  again  for  Bates. 
But  hark!  the  war  commences,  fair  shines  the  sun  upon 
The  friendly  legions  marshalled  by  the  wand  of  'Honest  John.' 
At  first  the  bids  are  modest,  and  the  small  men  have  their  way, 
But  fiercer  grows  the  struggle  when  the  giant  'plungers'  say. 
A  Duchess  proudly  walks  the  ring  and  'thousands'  fly  like  hail, 
But  Whittlebury  scores  the  prize,  the  second  of  the  sale; 
The  vales  of  Troutbeck  ring1  with  cheers  and  echo  back  the  sounds 
As  Hillhurst's  Third  is  landed  for  o'er  four  thousand  pounds. 


Waves  now  the  field  for  Warlaby  as  Vesper  Star  comes  in, 
And  silent  though  the  Bates  men  are  the  Booths  maintain  the  dlo, 
A  Crosbie  wins  the  maiden  for  a  thousand  guineas  down, 
Nor  rues  the  lucky  bid  that  claimed  her  for  his  own. 
More  Stars  shine  forth  in  beauty  and  make  but  little  stay. 
For  sturdy  Booth  is  'wanted'  and  quickly  wins  its  way." 
31 


530        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

and  Lady  Surmise,  that  had  also  been  exported^ 
fetched  respectively  800  guineas  and  400  guin- 
eas from  Sir  W.  H.  Salt.  The  Booth  cow 
Vesper  Star  went  to  Mr.  W.  Talbot  Crosbie  of 
Ardfert  Abbey  at  1,000  guineas.  The  eleven- 
year-old  Vernal  Star  made  450  guineas  to  Mr. 
Darby  The  nine-year-old  cow  White  Rose,  by 
Mountain  Chief,  was  taken  by  Rev.  T.  Stani- 
forth  at  300  guineas.  Mr.  John  Torr,  M.  P., 
bought  Bright  Lady,  a  nine-year-old  roan,  at 
330  guineas.  British  Queen,  eight  years  old, 
became  the  property  of  Rev.  T.  Staniforth  at 
230  guineas,  and  Welcome  Lady  and  Queen  of 
Beauty  were  bought  by  Mr.  J.  B.  Booth  at  226 
guineas  and  120  guineas  respectively. 

Mr.  Beattie  did  not  have  as  good  luck  with 
his  lot,  although  the  41st  Duchess  of  Goodness 
(of  Kentucky  breeding)  fetched  205  guineas 
from  Earl  Bective.  His  Princesses  and  other 
American-bred  cattle  sold  at  low  figures. 

Sale  summary  for  1877. — During  this  year 
3,237  Short-horns  were  sold  in  America  for 
$742,871,  an  average  of  $230,  a  falling  off  of 
$111  per  head  from  the  average  of  1876.  In 
Great  Britain  2,455  head  were  sold  at  an  aver- 
age of  about  $274,  an  increase  over  the  average 
of  1876  of  about  $12.  During  the  year  Col. 
Gunter  had  received  $10,000  for  the  Duchess 
bull  5th  Duke  of  Clarence,  a  brother  to  the 
Bow  Park  4th  Duke  of  Clarence.  On  Sept.  18 


THE   TURN   OF    THE    TIDE.  531 

E.  H.  Cheney  had  sold  at  Gaddesby  the  13tli 
Duchess  of  Airdrie  to  R.  Loder  for  $11,000; 
13th  Lady  of  Oxford  to  H.  Allsopp  for  $9,500; 
10th  Maid  of  Oxford  to  Earl  Bective  for  $8,025; 
llth  Maid  of  Oxford  to  H.  Lovatt  for  $7,000, 
and  the  7th  Duke  of  Gloster  (397-35)  to  the 
Duke  of  Devonshire  for  $9,250.  On  the  follow- 
ing day  Capt.  R.  E.  Oliver  sold  Grand  Duch- 
esses at  Sholebroke  Lodge,  receiving  $13,750 
from  Earl  Bective  for  Grand  Duchess  23d;  $12,- 
250  from  the  wealthy  brewer  H.  Allsopp  for 
Grand  Duchess  29th;  $9,000  from  Lord  Skel- 
mersdale  for  Cherry  Grand  Duchess  4th;  $7,550 
from  Earl  Bective  for  Grand  Duke  31st  (38374); 
$5,000  from  Sir  G.  R.  Phillips  for  Grand  Duke 
29th  (38372),  and  $4,500  from  Mr.  Allsopp  for 
Cherry  Grand  Duchess  8th.  On  July  5  George 
Fox  made  a  sale  at  Elmhurst  Hall,  at  which 
Allsopp  gave  $5,500  for  2d  Cambridge  Lady  and 
$3,500  for  Geneva's  Kirklevington  Duchess.  At 
William  Ashburner's  sale  at  Conishead  Grange 
Mr.  Allsopp  gave  $3,900  for  Bright  Eyes  6th, 
$3,050  for  Mild  Eyes  4th,  and  $3,050  foi  Conis- 
head Wild  Eyes,  by  24th  Duke  of  Airdrie.  Mr. 
Albert  Crane  sold  during  this  season  a  pair  of 
Airdrie  Duchess  heifers  to  Mr.  Holford  of  Eng- 
land for  $28,000. 

Notwithstanding  these  fancy  figures  abroad 
the  year's  business  closed  in  America  in  bad 
condition.  Two  of  the  leading  speculators  of 


532       A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

the  United  States,  Messrs.  B.  B.  Groom  of  Ken- 
tucky and  S.  W.  Jacobs  of  Iowa,  had  been 
forced  into  liquidation,  with  heavy  liabilities, 
and  these  failures  only  proved  the  prelude 
of  many  others  to  follow.*  The  fall  sales  in 
America  we-re  everywhere  disappointing. 

No  Short-horns  were  imported  during  1877, 
but  some  sales  were  made  for  export  to  the 
Japanese  Government. 

A  falling  market. — There  were  some  private 
sales  during  1878  at  high  prices,  but  the  gen- 
eral result  of  the  year's  business  was  disastrous 
to  the  speculative  element.  Numerous  failures 
in  the  American  trade  had  precipitated  gen- 
eral liquidation. 

The  assignment  of  the  Grooms  brought  178 
head  of  Bates-bred  Short-horns  upon  the  mar- 
ket at  auction  June  19  and  20,  1878,  but  sup- 
port was  furnished  by  numerous  bidders,  and  a 
general  average  of  $405  was  made  upon  the  en- 
tire lot.  Leading  sales  were  as  follows:  Kirk- 
levington  Duchess  of  Horton,  bought  for  Bow 

*  An  incident  of  the  trade  that  attracted  widespread  attention  about  this 
period  was  a  suit  for  damages  brought  by  Hon.  T.  J.  Megibben  against  E. 
G.  Bedford,  both  of  Kentucky.  The  case  grew  out  of  the  purchase  by  Mr. 
Megibben  of  Mr.  Bedford's  half  interest  in  the  Duchess  bull  Duke  of  Wood- 
land that  had  been  dropped  by  the  4th  Duchess  of  Oneida,  purchased  Jointly 
by  these  gentlemen  at  the  New  York  Mills  sale  for  $25,000.  The  calf  was 
imperfect— showing  but  one  testicle— and  proved  impotent;  honce  the  suit. 
The  most  eminent  lawyera  In  Kentucky  were  engaged  as  counsel,  including1 
the  Hon.  John  G.  Carlisle,  W.  C.  P.  Breckenridgo  and  others.  Nearly  all  the 
leading  Kentucky  breeders  of  Short-horns  were  summoned  to  give  expert 
testimony.  The  jury  disagreed,  and  at  a  second  trial  the  result  was  sti!, 
ttwe  flame.  On  the  third  hearing  Mr.  Megibben  secured  judgment  for  $9.000. 


THE   TURN    C'F    THE   TIDE.  533 

Park  at  $2,800;  Kirklevington  Duchess  of  Kent 
2d,  Avery  &  Murphy,  $2,000;  Wild  Eyes  of  Vine- 
wood,  same  firm,  $2,800;  Winsome  16th,  taken 
to  Bow  Park  at  $2,600;  Miss  Wild  Eyes  3d,  Hon. 
M.  H.  Cochrane,  $1,900;  Lally  8th  and  Barring- 
ton  Lally,  A.  L.  Hamilton,  $1,550  and  $1,525  re- 
spectively; May  Rose  4th,  Col.  Le  G.  B.  Cannon, 
$2,010;  Bell  Duchess,  A.  F.  Duckworth,  $1,325; 
2d  and  4th  Duchesses  of  Vinewood,  C.  H.  An- 
drews, Youngstown,  0.,  $1,225  and  $1,075  re- 
spectively; 6th  Duchess  of  Vinewood,  S.  White, 
Windsor,  Ont.,  $1,100;  15th  Lady  of  Oxford, 
bought  for  Bow  Park  at  $1,000.  T.  Corwin 
Anderson  of  Side  -View,  Kentucky,  was  a  free 
buyer  at  this  sale. 

At  H.  N.  Moore's  sale  in  Iowa  T.  R.  Westrope 
paid  $2,150  for  the  roan  Bates  Secret  cow  Silver 
Lady,  bred  by  J.  P.  Foster  of  Killhow  and  im- 
ported by  John  Hope.  Notwithstanding  occa- 
sional prices  of  this  sort  the  2,048  head  sold  at 
auction  in  America  during  1878  averaged  but 
$154.  The  situation  abroad  was  better,  as  the 
English  were  doing  business  with  more  capital. 
During  the  same  period  2,877  head  were  sold 
in  Great  Britain  at  an  average  of  $285. 

Top  prices  in  England  for  1878. — Earl  Bec- 
tive  sold  privately  to  Allsopp  of  Hindlip  Hall 
six  head  for  about  $55,000;  among  the  number 
being  8th  Duchess  of  Oneida,  purchased  at  New 
York  Mills  and  now  transferred  at  a  reported 


534        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HOEN   CATTLE. 

valuation  of  about  $22,500;  Duchess  of  Under- 
lay 2d,  a  granddaughter  of  10th  Duchess  of 
Geneva,  at  a  valuation  of  $15,000,  and  a  Red 
Rose  valued  at  $5,000.  Simon  Beattie  shipped 
during  this  season  to  England  for  account  of 
Mr.  Albert  Crane  the  27th  Duke  of  Airdrie  and 
some  Bates  and  Booth  females;  for  Avery  & 
Murphy,  Airdrie  Duchess  3d  and  heifer  calf 
Airdrie  Duchess  9th,  4th  Forclham  Duke  of  Ox- 
ford and  Grand  Airdrie;  and  for  Pickrell  & 
Kissinger  the  Booth-bred  Bright  Lady  of  the 
Realm,  an  own  sister  to  the  famous  Breast- 
plate.* The  27th  Duke  of "  Airdrie  fetched 
$2,225  at  the  sale  of  A.  Brogden,  being  bought 
by  Mr.  A.  H.  Lloyd. 

The  Duke  of  Devonshire  had  meantime  be- 
come one  of  the  great  Short-horn  powers  of 
Great  Britain.  His  herd  was  specially  dis- 
tinguished for  the  excellence  of  its  Oxfords, 
and  under  the  skillful  management  of  Mr. 
Drewry,  one  of  the  most  intelligent  of  all  those 
who  have  contributed  to  Short-horn  prestige 
abroad,  the  Holker  Hall  Short-horns  gained 
international  fame.  Drewry  was  probably  one 
of  the  best  judges  of  his  time,  and,  while  par- 
tial to  Bates  blood,  gave  careful  consideration 
fco  the  individual  character  and  quality  of  the 
herd  under  his  charge.  At  the  Holker  sale  of 
1878  Baroness  Oxford  5th,  by  5th  Duke  of 

*Mr.  T.  C.  Booth  of  Warlaby  died  in  1878 


THE   TURN   OF   THE   TIDE.  535 

Wetherby  (31033),  was  taken  by  D.  Mclntosh 
at  $13,300;  Grand  Duchess  of  Oxford  22d  was 
bought  by  W.  McCulloch  at  $10,500;  Grand 
Duchess  of  Oxford  21st,  by  Lord  Penryhn,  at 
$7,750;  Grand  Duchess  of  Oxford  40th  went  to 
S.  P.  Foster  at  $8,000;  Grand  Duchess  of  Oxford 
19th  to  Maj.  Chaffey  at  $4,275;  the  44th  Duke 
of  Oxford  (39774)  to  H.  A.  Brassey  at  $8,250; 
the  45th  Duke  of  Oxford  'to  Lord  Fitzhardinge 
at  $7,500,  and  the  46th  Duke  to  the  Earl  of 
Ellesmere  at  $3,330. 

At  a  sale  made  by  Mr.  J.  W.  Larking  Sir 
Curtis  Lampson  gave  $7,550  for  the  American- 
bred  3d  Duke  of  Hillhurst  (30975).  The  Duke 
of  Devonshire  invested  $4,525  in  Cherry  Duch- 
ess of  Hillhurst  and  $4,250  in  Marchioness  of 
Worcester,  by  8th  Duke  of  Geneva;  and  Mr. 
Allsopp  gave  $3,000  for  Belle  of  Worcester.  At 
a  sale  made  by  T.  Holford  A.  H.  Lloyd  paid 
$4,050  for  Winsome  12th;  D.  Mclntosh  gave 
$4,000  for  Viscount  of  Oxford  (40876),  and  All- 
sopp paid  from  $2,000  to  $3,000  for  several  lots. 

Dark  days  of  1879.— The  year  1879  was  a 
repetition  of  the  previous  season  except  that 
the  depression  in  values  of  such  cattle  as  were 
expected  to  sell  on  the  strength  of  their  breed- 
ing was  still  more  profound  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic.  Trade  at  both  public  and  private 
sale  in  America  was  flat,  and  hundreds  of  those 
who  had  been  chasing  the  rainbows  of  fashion 


536        A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

found  themselves  in  the  possession  of  cattle 
that  were  not  good  enough  to  command  high 
prices  on  their  merits  as  individuals  and  for 
which  no  market  existed  among  those  who  had 
been  engaged  in  the  mad  race  for  "blue"  blood 
regardless  of  all  other  considerations.  There 
were  a  few  speculators  who  believed  that  the 
depression  was  only  temporary,  one  of  whom 
was  the  late  T.  Corwin  Anderson  of  Side  View, 
Ky.,  who  insisted  that  purchases  made  at  prices 
then  prevailing  would  ultimately  show  a  hand- 
some profit.  At  a  sale  made  from  Bow  Park 
at  Dexter  Park,  Chicago,  Oct.  17,  Mr.  Anderson 
gave  $1,000  for  Kirklevington  Duchess  23d;  but 
there  were  few  who  had  sufficient  courage  to 
take  hold  at  any  such  price.  The  total  number 
of  cattle  sold  during  the  year  in  America  was 
2,865,  disposed  of  at  the  very  unsatisfactory 
average  of  $115.  Of  these  more  than  2,000 
head  were  sold  under  the  hammer  of  Col.  J.  W. 
Judy.  An  illustration  of  the  general  desire  to 
liquidate  was  afforded  by  the  fact  that  during 
this  season  the  Hamiltons  of  Kentucky  sold  3% 
head  at  auction  at  Kansas  City  at  an  average 
of  $109  each. 

Wealthy  English  noblemen  and  land-holders 
still  managed  to  keep  things  moving  on  the 
other  side.  Mr.  Fox  sold  Duke  of  Elmhurst, 
out  of  the  American-bred  20th  Duchess  of  Air- 
drie,  to  go  to  Australia  at  $10,000.  At  Lord 


THE   TURN    OF   THE   TIDE.  537 

Dunmore's  sale  Allsopp  gave  $16,000  for  Duch- 
ess 117th  and  $13,500  for  Duchess  114th,  and 
Sir  Curtis  Lampson  paid  $6,250  for  Duke  of 
Cornwall  2d  (43082).  At  Lord  Skelmersdale's 
sale  at  Latham  House  in  September  Mr.  R. 
Locler  of  Whittlebury  paid  $10,000  for  Duchess 
of  Ormskirk.  At  Lord  Braybrooke's  sale  at 
Audley  End,  Allsopp  gave  $5,000  for  Thorn- 
dale  Rose  7th;  Earl  Bective  paid  $4,500  for 
Thorndale  Rose  9th  and  Sir  Curtis  Lampson 
$3,000  for  Thorndale  Rose  12th.  At  Col.  Kings- 
cote's  sale  Lord  Fitzhardinge  gave  $5,500  for 
Oxford  Belle  5th;  and  the  bull  Oxford  Beau  7th 
(42082),  by  Duke  of  Hillhurst,  was  bought  by 
Mr.  Angas  of  Australia  at  $3,375.  Mr.  Angas 
also  bought  a  number  of  the  get  of  Duke  of 
Connaught  at  Lord  Fitzhardinge's  Berkeley 
Castle  sale,  including  Lady  Wild  Eyes  12th  at 
$2,000,  At  this  same  sale  Mr.  J.  A.  Rolls  gave 
$3,750  for  Kirklevington  Empress  2d,  by  Duke 
of  Connaught.  Notwithstanding  these  occa- 
sional high  prices  the  general  trend  of  values 
in  Great  Britain  was  also  downward,  the  sales 
for  the  year  aggregating  2,354  head  at  an  aver- 
age of  $240.  This  average  would  have  been 
materially  less  but  for  the  few  sensational 
prices  above  quoted. 

The  rally  of  1880.— The  panic  which  had 
prevailed  among  the  holders  of  speculative  lots 
in  America  for  several  years  had  now  spent 


538        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

its  force  in  large  degree  and  a  somewhat  better 
feeling  prevailed.  On  June  30  Hon.  M.  H. 
Cochrane  ventured  the  sale  of  forty-three  head 
at  Dexter  Park,  Chicago,  which  made  the  hand- 
some average  of  $900.  This  result  was  largely 
due  to  the  liberal  bidding  of  Col.  Le  Grand  B. 
Cannon,  a  wealthy  fancier  of  Burlington,  Vt., 
who  paid  $8,000  each  for  the  7th  and  8th  Duch- 
esses of  Hillhurst.  Mr.  N.  P.  Clarke  of  St. 
Cloud,  Minn.,  purchased  the  7th  Duke  of  Hill- 
hurst  34221  at  $3,900.  The  Bow  Park  manage- 
ment took  Kirklevington  Duchess  of  Kent  2d 
at  12,600  arid  Mr.  Bronson  C.  Rumsey  of  Niag- 
ara Stock  Farm,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  paid  $4,150  for 
Marchioness  of  Barringtons  5th  and  6th. 

In  December,  1879,  two  disastrous  fires  had 
occurred  among  the  buildings  of  Bow  Park,  the 
institution  suffering  great  loss.  The  indirect 
result  of  this  was  to  force  the  company  to  ship 
a  large  number  of  cattle  to  the  States.  The 
old  Glen  Flora  Farm  of  Messrs.  Parks  at  Wau- 
kegan,  111.,  was  selected  as  a  suitable  distribut- 
ing point,  and  several  sales  were  afterward 
made  there  at  which  prices  ranged  well  above 
the  average  being  obtained  at  Western  sales.* 

The  Hamiltons  of  Kentucky  were  still  free 
sellers,  disposing  of  190  head  at  Kansas  City  in 

*  The  Hon.  George  Brown  died  in  the  spring  of  1880;  his  death  resulting 
from  a  shot  fired  by  one  of  the  employes  in  the  office  of  the  Toronto  Globe. 
The  shooting  resulted  in  a  flesh  wound  from  which  blood-poisoning  set  in. 


THE   TURN   OF   THE   TIDE.  j 

May  for  an  average  of  $118.  At  a  sale  in  Chi- 
cago they  sold  sixty-four  head  at  an  average  of 
$219,  at  which  Maj.  S.  E.  Ward  of  Kansas  City 
paid  $1,300  for  the  cow  Rosebud.  About  500 
head  were  sold  at  auction  in  Kentucky  during 
this  summer;  Mr.  T.  C.  Anderson's  sixty-six 
head  averaging  $227;  Vanmeter  &  Hamilton's 
fifty-five  head  averaged  $304;  W.  T.  Hearne's 
fifty-two  head  averaged  $287;  I.  C.  Vanmeter's 
nineteen  head  averaged  $320;  E.  S.  Cunning- 
ham paying  $1,510  for  Sharon's  Beauty  and  A. 
M.  Bowman  of  Virginia  $1,500  for  Sharon's 
Belle.  Messrs.  Tracy  sold  forty-nine  head  at 
an  average  of  $272. 

The  3,222  head  sold  publicly  in  America  dur- 
ing 1880  averaged  $144.  The  British  average 
for  the  same  period  on  1.820  head  was  $175;  the 
only  extraordinary  price  made  in  England  dur- 
ing the  year  being  $10,000  paid  by  the  Earl  of 
Feversham  for  3d  Duchess  of  Underley  at  Earl 
Bective's.  Sir  Curtis  Lampson  gave  $4,900  at 
same  sale  for  12th  Maid  of  Oxford. 

The  Vaile  arid  Rumsey  importations. — In 
October,  1880,  importations  of  Bates  cattle  were 
resumed,  important  purchases  being  made  by 
Col.  H.  M.  Vaile  of  Independence,  Mo.,  and  B. 
C.  Rumsey,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

The  Vaile  importation  consisted  of  sixteen 
head,  including  some  capital  Waterloos  from 
the  fine  herd  of  the  Rev.  J.  I.  D.  Jefferson  of 


540        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Thicket  Priory,  Yorkshire;  Kirklevingtons  from 
J.  W.  Larking,  Ashdown  House,  Sussex;  the 
roan  Wild  Eyes  34th,  etc.  From  this  importa- 
tion many  valuable  Short-horns  were  bred. 
Indeed,  the  Vaile  Waterloos  became  famous 
throughout  the  West  for  their  fine  quality  and 
flesh. 

Mr.  Rumsey's  lot  included  the  Duke  of  Con- 
naught  cows  Oxford  Duchess  3d,  Kirklevington 
Empress  4th,  and  Wisdom  2d;  Rowfant  Kirk- 
levrngton  4th  and  Rowfant  Peach  from  Sir 
Curtis  Lampson's;  aBarrington  heifer  from  H. 
Lovatt's  and  the  roan  bull  Knight  of  Oxford  2d 
(39549),  bred  by  R.  P.  Davies.  During  this  sea- 
son Mr.  Rumsey  bought  Airdrie  Duchess  8th 
from  Avery  &  Murphy  at  a  reported  price  of 
$10,000. 

Sales  of  1881. — Considerable  activity  and 
some  strong  prices  characterized  the  auction 
sales  of  1881.  An  offering  of  fifty-five  head 
from  Bow  Park  made  at  Glen  Flora  Farm 
brought  the  gratifying  average  of  $516.35. 
Messrs.  DeGraff  &  Brown  of  Minnesota*  paid 
$4,200  for  Duchess  of  Oxford  21st;  H.  L.  Stout, 
Dubuque,  la.,  $2,550  for  Kirklevington  Duchess 
26th,  $2,350  for  46th  Duke  of  Oxford  and  $1,810 

*Col.  Charles  A.  DeGraff,  who  bought  this  cow  jointly  with  H.  F.  Brown, 
was  the  owner  of  the  beautiful  estate  known  as  Lake  Elysian  Stock  Farm, 
near  Janesville,  Minn.  He  was  a  big,  broad-gauged,  generous-hearted  man, 
who  for  some  years  contributed  largely  to  live-stock  improvement  in  the 
Northwest,  and  his  death,  which  occurred  a  few  years  since,  removed  from 
the  fraternity  of  American  stock-breeders  one  of  its  most  admirable  charac- 
ters. 


THE  TURN  OF  THE  TIDE.  541 

for  10th  Duchess  of  Barrington,  and  Hon.  John 
Wentworth  took  the  8th  Duke  of  Kirkleving- 
ton  at  $1,760.  As  indicating  the  magnitude  of 
the  business  being  transacted  at  West  Liberty, 
la.,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  in  the  spring  of 
this  year  the  late  Robert  Miller  and  others  sold 
about  250  head  at  auction,  the  average  price 
received  on  the  lot  being  $123.50. 

On  May  18  and  19  at  Port  Huron,  Mich., 
Messrs.  Avery  &  Murphy  and  John  P.  Sanborn 
sold  122  head  at  an  average  of  $950.  The 
Messrs.  Hamilton  of  Kentucky  bought  Airdrie 
Duchess  2d  at  $7,000  and  Airdrie  Duchess  5th 
at  $3,000.  Mitchell  Bros,  of  Detroit  bid  off 
Airdrie  Duchess  llth  at  $5,055.  T.  C.  Anderson 
of  Kentucky  paid  $2,900  for  Wild  Eyes  of  Vine- 
wood  and  $2,000  for  Wild  Eyes  of  Vinewood  2d. 
G.  J.  Hagerty  of  Ohio  gave  $1,500  for  Marquis 
of  Oxford  39861,  and  J.  S.  Berry  of  Kentucky 
took  imp.  Kirklevington  Princess  2d  at  $2,010. 

At  the  Hamilton  sale  in  Kentucky,  in  Au- 
gust, sixty-one  head  averaged  $489.25;  top 
prices  being  $1,705  paid  by  E.  L.  Chrisman,  In- 
dependence, Mo.,  for  Kirklevington  Lady  Ox- 
ford 2d;  $1,515,  $1,500  and  $1,025  by  Gen.  John 
.S.  Williams  of  Kentucky  for  three  Kirkleving- 
tons;  $1,510  by  J.  M.  Bigstaff  of  Kentucky  for 
Barrington  Place,  and  $1,225  by  T.  C.  Ander- 
son for  Peach  Blossom  9th.  Mr.  Ben.  F.  Van- 
fneter  was  at  this  time  in  partnership  with  the 


542        A   HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Messrs,  Hamilton,*  and  at  a  sale  held  by  the 
firm  of  Vanmeter  &  Hamiltons  this  season 
seventy-three  head  averaged  $519;  ten  head  of 
Renick  Rose  of  Sharons  being  knocked  off  at 
prices  ranging  up  to  $3,000. 

On  Nov.  10  the  Bow  Park  people  sold  thirty- 
eight  head  at  Glen  Flora  Farm  at  an  average 
of  $555;  Mr.  A.  J.  Alexander  of  Woodburn 
Farm,  Kentucky,  buying  imp.  Kirklevington 
Duchess  of  Horton — famous  as  the  dam  of  the 
fat-stock  show  champion  Clarence  Kirkleving- 
ton—at  $2,030.  Messrs.  Henshaw,  Trimble  & 
Pickett  of  Plattsburg,  Mo.,  gave  $4,025  at  this 
sale  for  imp.  Grand  Duchess  of  Oxford  29th,  of 
the  Duke  of  Devonshire's  breeding.  Mr.  S.  F. 
Lockridge  of  Greencastle,  Ind.,  paid  $1,700  for 
Waterloo  38th,  and  the  Hon.  Emory  Cobb  of 
Kankakee,  111.,  purchased  imp.  Kirklevington 
Duchess  17th  at  11,270. 

A  new  era  at  hand.— Another  milestone  in 
Short-horn  history  had  now  been  reached.  The 
great  outburst  of  enthusiasm  for  cattle  of  the 
Bates,  Booth,  and  allied  tribes  which  had  swept 
over  England  and  America  was  now  subsiding. 
In  its  earlier  phases  it  represented  the  tribute 
of  the  cattle-breeding  world  to  the  genius  of 
successful  breeders;  the  verdict  of  two  conti- 
nents upon  the  refinement,  beauty,  and  quality 


*  Messrs.  Vanmeter  &  Hamiltons  had  a  few  years  prior  to  this  sale  ac- 
quired by  purchase  about  one-half  of  Mr.  Renick's  herd,  including  quite  a 
number  of  4th  Duke  of  Geneva  cows. 


THE   TURN   OF   THE   TIDE.  543 

of  the  Bates-bred  tribes  and  the  sturdy  sub- 
stance and  deep  flesh  of  the  Warlaby  stock. 
Undoubted  merit  lay  at  the  foundation  of  the 
fashions  that  ruled  the  sale-rings  of  both  conti- 
nents for  so  many  years,  as  detailed  in  the 
foregoing  pages.  Unfortunately  not  all  of 
those  who  made  investments  during  this  pe- 
riod were  actuated  by  a  desire  to  promote  the 
interests  of  the  breed.  Indeed,  as  the  great 
"boom"  progressed  it  drew  to  itself  many  who 
simply  improved  the  opportunity  to  indulge 
their  speculative  instincts  without  any  special 
reference  to  the  effect  of  their  operations  upon 
the  general  welfare.  Many  of  the  Duchesses, 
Princesses,  Rose  of  Sharons  and  other  favorites 
were  bought  at  enormous  prices  not  because 
they  were  better  than  the  average  well-bred 
Short-horn  of  their  time,  but  in  the  hope  that 
some  other  eager  investor  would  be  willing  to 
pay  a  like  price  for  the  progeny.  It  will  be 
observed  from  a  perusal  of  the  preceding  chap- 
ters that  only  such  tribes  were  systematically 
"promoted"  as  were  comparatively  scarce  and 
in  few  hands.  It  would  have  been  idle  for  any 
man  or  group  of  men  to  attempt  to  maintain 
such  figures  for  any  of  the  more  prolific  or 
widely-distributed  sorts. 

Injudicious  breeding. — In  some  instances 
these  high-priced  cattle  fell  into  the  hands  of 
careful  men  who  handled  them  with  a  decent 


544          A  HISTORY  OF  SHORT-HORN  CATTLE. 

regard  for  sound  principles  of  breeding.  Tn 
some  herds  they  were  mated  with  consummate 
skill  and  judgment,  and  the  original  merit  of 
the  stock  was  in  these  exceptional  cases  fairly 
well  maintained.  Too  often,  however,  these 
unfortunate  descendants  of  a  noble  ancestry 
became  the  mere  tools  of  speculators  and  the 
victims  of  a  vicious  system  which  could  have 
but  one  result;  to-wit.:  inevitable  deterioration. 
A  certain  set  even  undertook  the  foolhardy 
task  of  breeding  the  Bates  tribes  "absolutely 
pure."  There  were  still  in  existence  more 
than  thirty-five  years  after  the  death  of  Thomas 
Bates  cattle  belonging  to  families  originated 
either  by  himself  or  his  tenants,  the  Messrs. 
Bell,  which  had  been  kept  squarely  within 
strict  Bates  lines;  that  is  to  say  entirely  free 
from  admixture  of  blood  from  any  other  than 
the  Bates  source.  One  has  but  to  hark  back  to 
the  practice  of  Bates  himself  to  find  ample 
warrant  for  characterizing  this  procedure  on 
the  part  of  certain  of  his  alleged  disciples  as 
utterly  unworthy  not  only  of  the  master  of 
Kirklevington,  but,  as  a  proposition  in  scien- 
tific breeding,  not  to  be  considered  by  intel- 
ligent men.  Fortunately  there  were  but  few 
who  undertook  to  carry  this  reckless  practice 
to  extreme  lengths.  It  was  pointed  out  that 
but  for  the  outcrossed  families,  not  only  of  the 
Bates  but  of  the  Booth  tribes,  the  main  chai?- 


THE   TURN   OF   THE   TIDE.  545 

nels  of  those  bloods  would  have  ceased  to  cut 
much  figure  upon  the  Short-horn  map.  The 
"pure"  Duchesses  about  this  time  became  ex- 
tinct both  in  Europe  and  America,  leaving  the 
field,  so  far  as  Mr.  Bates'  favorite  family  was 
concerned,  to  the  outcrossed  branches.  The 
effort  to  preserve  the  Kirklevington  tribes  for 
an  indefinite  period  free  from  admixture  of 
other  blood  met  with  no  success  so  far  as  sus- 
taining the  individual  merit  of  the  cattle  was 
concerned. 

Evils  of  speculation, — There  is  nothing  so 
dangerous  as  popularity.  Whenever  it  is  dem- 
onstrated that  cattle  of  any  particular  line  of 
breeding  possess  pronounced  merit  and  repre- 
sent a  blood  concentration  likely  to  insure  pre- 
potency a  widespread  demand  leads  to  the  re- 
tention for  breeding  purposes  of  "all  sorts  and 
conditions"  of  cattle  carrying  the  coveted  ped- 
igree. The  really  good  specimens  are  taken 
by  leading  breeders  or  wealthy  speculators  at 
fancy  prices,  leaving  the  inferior  and  indiffer- 
ent "misfits"  for  those  whose  purse  does  not 
permit  of  the  purchase  of  the  best.  Thus  it 
came  to  pass  that  during  the  years  of  inflated 
values  the  tendency  of  Short-horn  breeding 
was  away  from  correct  standards,  so  far  as 
practical  excellence  for  the  farm,  the  dairy,  or 
the  feed-lot  was  concerned.  The  entire  breed 
was  "honeycombed"  by  the  speculative  mania. 


546        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

At  the  same  time  there  were  not  only  in  Great 
Britain  but  America  certain  sturdy  characters 
who  refused  to  be  stampeded  at  the  crack  of 
fashion's  whip.  There  were  in  nearly  every 
State  in  the  Union,  as  well  as  in  Canada  and 
Great  Britain,  devoted  lovers  of  the  breed  who, 
often  at  great  apparent  cost  to  themselves, 
maintained  the  sacred  fires  of  the  early  Short- 
horn faith.  True  to  the  principles  of  those 
who  gave  the  breed  to  the  world  they  persist- 
ently pursued  individual  excellence  in  the  ani- 
mal as  the  corner  stone  of  all  progress;  and  to 
these  men  the  breed  owes  its  preservation  from 
those  who  were  unintentionally  poisoning  the 
very  fountains  of  its  vitality. 

The  spur  of  opposition. — Several  causes  con- 
spired to  bring  American  breeders  to  their 
senses  about  this  period.  Coincident  with  the 
declining  merit  for  practical  purposes  of  those 
tribes  that  were  most  frequently  in  the  public 
eye  came  the  invasion  of  the  markets  of  the 
West  by  two  of  Britain's  most  distinguished 
beef  types;  to- wit.:  the  Herefords  and  black 
polls.  The  establishment  of  the  American 
Fat-Stock  Show  at  Chicago,  which  occurred  in 
1878,  gave  these  new  candidates  for  public 
favor  an  opportunity  of  which  they  were  not 
slow  to  take  advantage.  "White-faces"  and 
"doddies"  began  to  appear  in  force  for  the  first 
time  in  the  history  of  American  cattle-breed- 


THE    TURN   OF   THE    TIDE.  547 

ing  at  the  great  State  fairs  of  the  West.  En- 
terprising and  intelligent  men  devoted  time 
and  ample  capital  to  a  presentation  of  their 
merits  as  feeders'  and  butchers'  beasts.  It  was 
apparent  from  the  beginning  that  before  the 
tribunal  of  practical  men  constituting  the 
great  body  of  Western  feeders  and  stock-yards 
buyers  only  such  Short-horns  as  possessed  sub- 
stance, feeding  capacity  and  natural  wealth  of 
flesh  could  successfully  defend  the  colors  of 
the  "red,  white  and  roan."  Style  without 
stamina  could  not  resist  the  shock.  Finish 
without  flesh  failed  to  satisfy  the  cold  logic  of 
the  block.  Those  who  had  been  dictating 
terms  to  the  Short-horn  cattle-breeding  fra- 
ternity were  now  confronted  with  a  competi- 
tion that  based  its  claims  not  upon  past 
reputation,  but  upon  actual  present  worth. 
Those  who  were  endeavoring  to  sustain  the 
prestige  of  the  prevailing  fashionable  type 
made  a  brave  effort  to  cope  with  their  formid- 
able adversaries,  and  in  some  noteworthy  in- 
stances succeeded  in  presenting  animals  fit  to 
stand  for  the  credit  of  any  breed  at  any  time 
in  any  place.  Such  isolated  instances,  how- 
ever, only  served  all  the  more  effectually  to 
prove  that  something  weightier  than  mere 
pedigree,  something  more  tangible  than  mere 
pride  of  birth  was  the  crying  need  of  the 
hour. 


548         A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Scotch  cattle  to  the  fore. — Naturally  in  such 
an  emergency  the  character  of  the  Short-horns 
available  at  the  time  for  repelling  the  newly- 
introduced  breeds  became  the  subject  of  close 
scrutiny.  Examination  of  the  breeding  of  the 
cattle  that  had  been  sustaining  and  were  still 
battling  for  the  honor  of  the  breed  at  leading 
shows  in  the  West  revealed  the  fact  that  the 
fighting  line  was  not  held,  as  a  general  propo- 
sition, by  animals  representing  the  prevailing 
fashionable  blood.  It  so  happened  that  at  this 
critical  juncture  in  Short-horn  affairs  on  this 
side  the  Atlantic  some  of  the  stoutest  defend- 
ers of  'Short-horn  fame  against  rival  breeds  had 
been  brought  from  the  old-established  herds  of 
Scotland.  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster  (half-Booth, 
half-Scotch),  Violet's  Forth,  the  Golden  Drops, 
Orange  Blossom  18th,  and  other  North  Country 
cattle  that  had  been  seen  in  the  West  in  former 
years  were  recalled  as  types  of  the  stamp  now 
demanded.  The  Scotch-bred  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond 21525  and  other  cattle  of  his  compact, 
fleshy  conformation  were  even  then  holding 
back  the  Hereford  host.  The  hour  had  struck; 
and  the  early  "eighties"  found  the  Aberdeen- 
shire  Short-horn  claiming  the  center  of  the 
American  Short-horn  stage. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST. 

On  the  rich  farming  lands  of  England  and 
America  the  Short-horn,  as  a  prolific  source  of 
both  profit  and  pleasure,  had  received  early 
and  adequate  recognition.  For  half  a  century 
" John  Bull"  and  "Brother  Jonathan"  had  been 
heaping  honors  and  riches  at  the  feet  of  the 
"red,  white  and  roan"  with  a  recklessness  un- 
paralleled in  agricultural  history,  but  in  win- 
ning its  way  into  their  affections  the  breed  had 
reveled  in  the  bounty  of  the  most  opulent  ag- 
riculture the  world  has  ever  seen.  Could  it 
maintain  its  superiority  when  the  path  no 
longer  led  through  the  grassy  vales  of  York 
and  Durham,  or  by  the  rustling  cornfields  of 
"the  States"?  It  was  not  until  long  after  the 
great  feeders  of  the  Ohio  Valley  began  driving 
their  fine  big  Short-horn  steers  to  seaboard 
markets  that  the  tenant  farmers  of  the  North 
of  Scotland  undertook  to  answer  this  pertinent 
question  in  a  district  where  balmy  breezes, 
sunny  skies,  rich  pastures,  groaning  grain  bins 
and  other  bovine  "creature  comforts"  were 
conspicuous  mainly  by  their  absence;  and  the 

(549) 


550        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

triumphant  vindication  of  the  intrinsic  value 
of  Short-horn  blood,  under  apparently  adverse 
conditions  of  soil  and  climate,  resulting  from 
that  practical  test  makes  up  one  of  the  bright- 
est chapters  in  the  annals  of  the  breed,  inci- 
dentally it  also  furnishes  a  lesson  in  good  farm- 
ing that  is  world-wide  in  its  application.  The 
story  of  the  Short-horn  in  the  North  of  Scot- 
land has,  therefore,  a  deep  significance. 

"Caledonia  stern  and  wild." — Within  the 
memory  of  the  generation  now  passing  Aber- 
deenshire,  a  comparatively  bleak  and  unpro- 
ductive country,  was  unknown  as  a  producer 
of  prime  beef.  To-day,  thanks  to  Short-horn 
blood,  turnips,  Capt.  Barclay  of  Ury,  Grant 
Duff  of  Eden,  Hay  of  Shethin,  Watson  of 
Keillor,  McCombie  of  Tillyfour,  the  Cruick- 
shanks  of  Sittyton,  their  contemporaries  and 
successors,  it  is  one  of  the  primary  factors  in  the 
world's  supply.  Reaching  from  the  Northern 
Highlands  of  Perth  and  the  forest  of  Glen  Ey, 

"Land  of  brown  heath  and  shaggy  wood; 
Land  of  the  mountain  and  the  flood," 

to  where  Kinnaird  Head  finally  plows  its  way 
into  the  surf  of  Northern  seas,  Aberdeenshire 
presents  a  rolling  landscape,  strewn  for  the 
most  part  with  the  stony  debris  deposited  by 
the  ancient  glaciers  of  the  Grampians.  A 
rough,  broken  country,  possessing  but  limited 
areas  of  good  soil,  wanting  in  natural  shelter, 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  551 

swept  for  a  good  portion  of  the  year  by  the 
chill  East  winds  of  the  German  Ocean,  and 
enduring  the  long,  dark  winters  of  a  latitude 
of  58  deg.  north  it  is  one  of  the  marvels  of  our 
time  that  the  Aberdonian  tenantry  and  their 
neighbors  of  adjacent  districts  in  the  face  of 
such  environment  should  have  won  so  high  a 
place  in  the  farming  world. 

Science,  "roots"  and  Short-horns. — For  gen- 
erations the  Northern  farmers  had  made  but 
little  progress  in  the  improvement  of  their  cat- 
tle. A  scanty  herbage  was  grazed  by  the  na- 
tive, unimproved,  black  hornless  breed  of  the 
district,  or  by  the  shaggy  little  steers  from  the 
Western  Highlands,  and  these  supplied  what 
beef  was  required  for  local  consumption.  The 
feeding  of  cattle  for  distant  markets,  as  a  reg- 
ular source  of  revenue,  could  receive  but  scant 
attention.  In  the  course  of  time,  however, 
science  came  to  the  rescue.  Experience  proved 
the  beneficent  effects  of  lime  and  bone  dust 
upon  many  hitherto  sterile  stone-fenced  fields, 
thus  paving  the  way  for  the  successful  intro- 
duction of  the  culture  of  turnips  as  a  stock 
food;  since  carried  to  a  degree  of  perfection 
unknown  in  any  other  country.  Marsh  and 
moor-lands  were  transformed  by  drainage  and 
artificial  fertilization.  Some  good  grass  fol- 
lowed; and  this,  along  with  the  "neeps"*  and 

'Colloquial  Scotch  for  turnips- 


552        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

oat  fields,  provided  a  firm  foundation  for  a 
more  profitable  agriculture.  Indeed,  "roots " 
fairly  revolutionized  North-Country  farming 
and  rendered  it  possible  to  attempt  the  im- 
provement of  the  size  and  weight  of  the  Aber- 
deenshire,  Banff  and  Forfar  herds  with  pros- 
pects of  success.*  The  experiment  was  made 
and  carried  to  a  successful  issue  primarily  by 
the  use  of  Short-horn  blood. 

Feed-lot  considerations  paramount, — Those 
who  inaugurated  this  work  of  improvement,  as 
well  as  those  who  followed  in  their  footsteps, 
were,  as  a  rule,  men  who  made  a  living  by 
their  own  unaided  efforts.  Upon  those  North- 
ern hills  life  was  real  and  earnest.  There  was 
no  place  in  the  local  agriculture  for  the  purely 
ornamental.  Cattle  had  first  of  all  to  be  of  a 
rent-paying  sort.  This  called  for  sound  consti- 
tutions to  enable  the  animals  to  withstand  the 
climate  and  for  a  feeding  quality  and  early 
maturity  that  would  give  prompt  and  full  re- 
turns in  the  feed-lot  for  all  forage  consumed. 
Those  to  whom  the  early  breeders  had  to  look 
for  the  sale  of  their  surplus  bulls  were  men 
who  had  roofs  to  keep  over  their  heads.  They 

*  During  a  visit  to  Aberdeenshlre  In  1892  the  author  was  shown  a  fine 
turnip  field— on  one  of  the  farms  held  by  Mr.  William  Duthle  from  the  Earl 
of  Aberdeen— which,  originally  a  peat  bog,  had  been  drained  and  reclaimed 
at  a  cost  to  the  tenant  of  about  £30  per  acre.  Inasmuch  as  this  sum  ($150) 
represents  about  double  the  value  in  fee  simple  of  good  American  farms, 
this  fact  affords  a  fitting  illustration  of  the  expense  and  labor  with  which 
many  North  of  Scotland  farms  were  adapted  to  the  requirements  of  sue 
ceaaful  cattle-breeding. 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  558 

could  indulge  in  no  "fads"  or  fancies.  The  get 
of  any  sire,  no  matter  how  distinguished  his 
lineage,  were  studiously  shunned  unless  show- 
ing plainly  the  qualifications  demanded  in  an 
atmosphere  where  economy  and  practical  util- 
ity were  the  essential  handmaids  of  thrift. 

It  thus  happened  that  Short-horn  breeding 
in  the  North  rested  from  the  beginning  on  the 
bedrock  of  actual  merit  for  feeding  purposes. 

Crossing  the  border. — Tweedside  marks  the 
Northern  confines  of  England.  At  the  river's 
mouth,  on  the  Scottish  side,  stands  the  historic 
city  of  Berwick,  sternly  typical  of  the  character 
of  the  people  over  whose  destinies  it  kept 
"watch  and  ward"  for  centuries.  On  the  grassy 
southern  bank  lies  ancient  Northumbria  and 
Flodden  Field.  The  ruined  battlements  of 
Norham  Castle  remind  the  traveler  in  these 
parts  of  the  Border  Country's  stormy  past;  but 
since  the  days  of  William  Wallace  and  King 
James  this  pastoral  region  has  fallen  under 
gentler  sway.  From  the  Cheviots  to  the  Hills 
of  Lammermoor  the  herds  and  flocks  of  a 
thrifty  husbandry  have  grazed,  free  from  war's 
alarms,  for  generations. 

Prior  to  the  introduction  of  the  breed  into 
the  Northern  Counties  it  had  already  been 
proved  that  Short-horns  would  thrive  in  the 
South  of  Scotland.  Indeed,  they  had  been  suc- 
cessfully transplanted  early  in  the  century 


554        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

from  the  Valley  of  the  Tees  across  the  border 
into  the  district  lying  between  the  River  Tweed 
and  the  Firth  of  Forth.  Robertson  of  Lady- 
kirk  and  Rennie  of  Phantassie  were  the  pio- 
neers in  this  forward  movement  toward  the 
North;  and  after  the  introduction  of  Short- 
horn bulls  had  aroused  the  spirit  of  improve- 
ment among  the  farmers  of  the  higher  latitude 
the  blood  of  these  earliest  Scottish  herds  be- 
came an  important  element  in  the  evolution  of 
the  Aberdeenshire  type. 

Robertson  of  Lady  kirk. — Residing  near 
Coldstream,  Berwickshire,  close  by  the  placid 
waters  of  the  Tweed,  Robertson  of  Ladykirk, 
Scotland's  first  breeder  of  Short-horn  cattle, 
acquired  an  early  familiarity  with  the  merits 
of  the  original  Short-horn  stock  of  Northum- 
berland and  Durham.  A  contemporary  of  the 
Collings,  Mason,  Grey  of  Dilston,  Bates  and 
Thomas  Booth  he  had  ample  opportunities  for 
making  a  thorough  study  of  the  breed  while 
still  in  its  infancy.  Quick  to  adopt  practical 
ideas  into  his  own  farming  operations  he  re- 
solved to  transfer  to  Scottish  territory  some  of 
the  best  of  the  Ketton  and  Barmpton  blood. 
Cows  and  heifers  of  the  most  approved  Tees- 
water  type  were  selected  mainly  on  their  mer- 
its as  individuals  and  crossed  by  herd-book 
bulls  of  Colling  and  kindred  breeding.  The 
canny  Scot,  however,  was  opposed  to  the  whole 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  555 

scheme  of  pedigree  registration.  Geo.  Coates 
and  his  saddlebags  found  no  welcome  at  Lady- 
kirk.  Robertson  held  that  the  attempt  to  limit 
the  choice  of  cattle  reared  for  practical  farm 
purposes  to  such  as  might  chance  to  be  bred 
within  herd-book  Hues  constituted  an  unrea- 
sonable check  upon  freedom  of  individual  judg- 
ment and  would -prove  a  bar  to  real  progress. 
Fortunately  for  the  breed  Jonas  Whitaker  and 
others  saw  the  wisdom  of  providing  a  founda- 
tion for  the  future  by  recording  the  lineage  of 
the  first  of  the  " improved"  Short-horns.  Al- 
though registration  went  steadily  on  in  England 
the  Berwickshire  breeder's  patronage  was  stub- 
bornly withheld.  It  transpires,  therefore,  that 
the  breeding  of  the  Ladykirk  cows,  although 
well  known  to  their  owner,  was  never  put  on 
record  and  those  who  started  from  this  essen- 
tially sound  and  substantial  stock  of  Short- 
horns were  unable  to  trace  their  pedigrees  to 
their  actual  English  origin.  That  the  herd  was 
well  bred  has  never  been  questioned.  That  it 
attained  a  high  standard  of  excellence  is  borne 
out  by  all  the  early  chronicles  of  Tweedside 
agriculture.  That  it  furnished  the  foundation 
for  many  a  fine  family  of  cattle  in  the  North 
is  one  of  the  primary  propositions  of  Scotch 
Short-horn  history. 

Rennie  of  Phantassie. — The  colors  of  the 
<;red,   white    and    roan"   were    carried    from 


556         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Tweedside  to  the  Forth  by  John  Rennie  oi 
the  farm  of  Phantassie,  in  the  County  of  Had- 
dington  (East  Lothian).  His  father,  George 
Rennie,  had  been  one  of  the  most  active  pro- 
moters of  agricultural  improvement  in  his  day; 
having  been  sent  when  a  mere  lad  into  the 
Tweedside  country  to  study  the  farming  of 
that  district,  where  such  men  as  Lord  Kames, 
Renton  of  Lamberton,  Hume  of  Ninewells, 
Fordyce  of  Ayton,  and  others  had  begun  exten- 
sive improvements  upon  their  estates.  The 
knowledge  thus  gained  by  observation  was  af- 
terward turned  to  good  account  at  Phantassie. 
A  man  of  fine  business  ability  and  sound  judg- 
ment, Rennie  rose  to  great  eminence  as  a 
breeder  and  feeder  of  fine  Short-horns  in  a 
region  already  famous  for  the  skill  of  its  farm- 
ers.* He  bought  from  Robertson  of  Ladykirk, 
with  whom  he  was  on  terms  of  intimate  friend- 
ship, and  also  drew  upon  the  herds  of  the  first 
English  improvers  of  the  breed. 

Rennie  agreed  with  Robertson  in  reference 
to  the  then  newly-established  Short-horn  Herd 
Book  of  England  and  also  refused  to  record  his 
cattle  in  it,  but  the  perfection  to  which  he 
brought  his  herd  is  attested  by  references  made 
to  his  stock  by  Youatt,  McCombie  and  other  au- 
thorities. The  Northern  farmers  who  bought 


*  The  farming  of  the  Lothians  is  to  this  day  a  source  of  National  pride 
in  Scotland. 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  557 

cattle  from  these  Southern  herds  were  in  quest 
of  a  profitable  feeding  type  rather  than  partic- 
ular blood-lines.  They  knew  little  and  proba- 
bly cared  less  about  the  disputes  as  to  the  rela- 
tive values  of  different  strains  as  carried  on 
by  their  English  brethren.  Indeed,  those  who 
owned  animals  tracing  descent  from  these  two 
primal  Scottish  herds  were  quite  content  to 
rest  the  pedigrees  at  ^lie  base  upoA  the  sub- 
stantial names  fcnd  character  of  "Rennie  of 
Phantassie"  or  "Robertson  of  Ladykirk."  An 
abrupt  termination  this,  one  might  say,  and 
yet  to  those  who  drew  material  from  those 
sources  it  meant  a  foundation  in  genuine  Short- 
horn merit  as  firm  as  the  granite  hills  of  their 
native  land. 

Rennie  has  the  honor  of  having  supplied  the 
first  Short-horn  bull  ever  taken  into  the  terri- 
tory North  of  the  River  Dee,  reference  to 
which  will  be  made  further  on.* 

*"We  have  been  honored  with  a  letter  from  Mr.  John  Rennie  on  the 
subject  of  his  stock  from  which  we  make  the  following-  extract,  confirma- 
tory of  Mr.  Brown's  account,  and  which,  in  justice  to  so  enterprising  and 
skillful  a  breeder  ap  Mr.  Rennie,  should  be  placed  upon  record:  'The 
principal  breed  (he  means  among  the  few  who  have  directed  their  attention 
to  the  breeding  of  cattle)  is  Short-horns,  or  Teeswaters,  which  were  intro- 
duced by  myself,  having  selected  them  from  Mr.  Robertson  of  Ladykirk, 
who,  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying,  had  some  of  the  best  Short-horns  in 
the  kingdom.  I  also  had  two  or  three  bulls  of  the  best  blood  from  the 
County  of  Durham.  I  had  three  or  four  large  sales  of  stock  which  were 
attended  by  some  of  the  most  celebrated  breeders  in  England  and  Scotland. 
Bulls  were  bought  at  from  £50  to  £120  each  to  go  200  miles  north  and  above 
300  miles  south.' 

"  Mr.  Brown  of  Drylaw  Hill,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  some  previous 
remarks,  informs  us  that  about  the  years  1818  and  1819  the  Short-horned  OT 
Teeswater  breed  of  *i.e  best  and  purest  sort  was  introduced  into  the  countv 


558        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Barclay  of  Ury.~ The  father  of  Short-horn 
breeding  in  the  North  was  one  of  the  best- 
known  characters  of  his  day  and  generation — 
Capt.  Barclay  of  Ury.  Descended  from  an  old 
Kincardineshire  family,  distinguished  for  great 
physical  strength,  a  soldier  by  profession  and  a 
sportsman  by  instinct,  he  developed  a  fondness 
for  farming,  which  resulted  in  his  founding 
a  herd  of  Short-horns  about  the  date  of  Ma- 
son's sale,  from  which  those  who  afterwards 
engaged  in  the  trade  drew  many  of  their  most 
valuable  foundation  animals.  Notwithstand- 
ing his  success  and  reputation  as  the  introdu- 
cer of  the  Short-horn  in  North  Scotland  it  is  an 
open  question  as  to  whether  or  not  his  fame  in 
other  directions  was  not  even  greater  than  his 
celebrity  as  a  cattle-breeder.  An  athlete  him- 
self Barclay  was  passionately  fond  of  all  forms 
of  out-of-door  sport.  It  is  said  that  he  once 
walked  1,000  miles  in  1,000  hours  on  a  wager. 
He  was  financially  interested  in  the  operation 

principally  from  the  stock  of  the  late  Mr.  Robertson  of  Ladykirk  and 
which  were  descended  in  a  direct  line  from  those  of  Messrs.  Colling:  of 
Darlington.  Others  were  likewise  brought  from  some  of  the  most  cele- 
brated stocks  in  the  North  of  England.  For  this  he  says  the  county  was 
indebted  to  Mr.  John  Bennie,  son  of  Mr.  George  Bennie.  The  produce  of 
his  stock  is  now  spread  over  the  county,  and  as  a  proof  of  its  merits  a  bul- 
lock bred  by  Mr.  Bennie  and  fed  by  Mr.  Boyne  of  Woodhall  received  the 
second  prize  at  the  Smithfield  Cattle  Show  in  1831. 

"Mr.  Bennie  obtained  many  prizes  from  the  Highland  and  his  own  dis- 
trict society.  He  has  had  many  beasts  that  weighed  from  eighty  to  one 
hundred  stone  (imperial  weight)  when  at  two  and  a  half  or  three  years  old; 
and  he  once  sold  eighteen  steers  at  two  and  a  half  years  old  which  weighed 
from  eighty-five  to  one  hundred  stone  and  for  which  he  received  £33  per 
head."— Youatt  on  CaWe,  page  148. 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.         559 

of  the  mail  coaches  of  East  Scotland,  and  one 
of  these,  notably  the  famous  "Defiance,"  was 
one  of  the  noted  outfits  of  its  time.*  He  had  a 
very  celebrated  breed  of  game  fowls,  and  was 
a  devoted  patron  of  the  cock-pit  and  the  prize- 
ring.  Fond  of  arranging  fistic  encounters  be- 
tween the  expert  boxers  of  that  period  he  often 
served  in  the  capacity  of  "trainer"  as  well  as 
backer.  Good  dogs  and  the  "  mimic  warfare  of 
the  chase"  also  claimed  his  attention.  Indeed 
for  more  than  a  generation  the  exploits  of  Bar- 
clay of  Ury,  by  flood  and  field,  furnished  the 
theme  for  many  a  "rattling"  story  told  at 
officers'  "mess"  or  wayside  inn. 

Barclay  had  inherited  from  his  father  the 
estate  of  Ury  on  the  banks  of  the  River  Cowie, 
hard  by  the  seaport  of  Stonehaven.  At  large 
expense  of  time  and  labor,  by  the  liberal  use  of 
lime  and  by  the  importation  of  skilled  plow- 
men and  improved  implements  from  Norfolk, 
the  elder  Barclay  had  secured  fair  grass  and  had 
successfully  introduced  the  culture  of  turnips. 
The  Captain  was  on  terms  of  intimate  friend- 
ship with  Wetherell  and  had  many  interesting 


*  Barclay  once  drove  the  "  Defiance  "  through  on  a  wager  of  £1,000  from 
London  to  Aberdeen  without  leaving  the  box.  It  is  said  that  on  this  trip 
the  coach  was  "  horsed  "  at  two  stages  by  Thoroughbreds  as  leaders  that 
had  never  been  in  harness  before.  On  arriving  at  Aberdeen  a  friend 
remarked,  "Captain,  you  must  be  tired."  Barclay  replied,  "I  have  £1,000 
that  says  I  can  drive  back  to  London  again  starting  in  the  morn." 


560        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

"sessions"  with  Watson  and  McCombie,  the 
great  improvers  of  the  Aberdeen- Angus  polls. 
His  first  great  success  with  Short-horns  fol- 
lowed his  purchase  of  the  best  cow  sold  at  the 
dispersion  sale  of  Mason  of  Chilton — the  beau- 
tiful roan  Lady  Sarah  at  150  guineas.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  the  massive  roan  cow  Portia, 
illustrated  in  the  first  volume  of  Coates'  Herd 
Book.  At  Ury  she  proved  prolific,  producing 
the  bulls  Monarch  (4495),  Mahomed  (6170), 
Pedestrian  (7321),  Sovereign  (7539),  and  the 
three  heifers,  Julia,  Cecily,  and  Helen.  Bar- 
clay was  familiar  with  the  Bakewell  scheme  of 
the  Collings,  Bates,  and  the  elder  Booth,  and 
produced  the  valuable  roan  bull  Mahomed, 
above  mentioned,  by  breeding  Monarch  back  to 
his  own  dam,  Lady  Sarah.  Mahomed  was  sold 
as  a  calf,  but,  developing  into  a  capital  bull, 
was  bought  back  in  1839.  He  appears  to  have 
been  used  in  the  herd  until  1841,  and  sired 
among  other  valuable  animals  The  Pacha 
(7612),  the  progenitor  of  many  animals  after- 
ward distinguished  in  Scotch  Short-horn  his- 
tory. Lady  Sarah's  daughters  Cecily  and  Helen 
were  sold  to  Mr.  Pollock  of  County  Meath,  Ire- 
land, along  with  their  produce;  and  their  de- 
scendants were  afterward  to  be  seen  in  the 
noted  Booth-bred  herd  of  Barnes  of  Westland. 
Besides  Mahomed  Monarch  sired  the  successful 
stock  bull  BilJy  (3151),  that  was  sold  as  a  calf 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  561 

to  Hutcheson  of  Monyruy,  who  afterward 
parted  with  him  at  a  high  price  to  Boswell  of 
Kingcausie.  He  was  winner  of  the  Highland 
Society's  prize  in  1840  and  his  heifers  gave  rise 
to  many  valuable  Scottish  tribes.  He  was  the 
sire  of  the  cow  Clipper,  the  matron  of  the 
famous  Cruickshank  bull-breeding  tribe  bear- 
ing her  name.  Billy  (3151),  The  Pacha  (7612), 
Conqueror  (6884),  and  Premier  (6308),  all  bred 
by  Barclay,  were  used  in  founding  the  Cruick- 
shank herd.* 

The  Ury  cattle  of  this  date  are  said  to  have 
possessed  great  scale  and  substance.  In  1838 
the  original  herd,  which  owed  its  excellence 
very  largely  to  Lady  Sarah,  was  dispersed  in 
order,  it  is  said,  to  replenish  the  Captain's 
purse.  The  bull  Mahomed  seems,  however,  to 
have  been  retained  at  Ury.  The  best  lots  in 
this  sale  were  the  get  of  Monarch  (4495),  three 
of  whose  daughters  made  over  £100  each. 
About  eighty  head  were  sold  for  a  total  of 
£3,000.  Lady  Sarah  at  thirteen  years  old  was 
sold  to  Mr.  Wetherell  at  40  guineas,  It  has 
been  asserted  that  she  afterward  became  the 


*  Messrs.  Cruickshank  had  in  their  herd  at  Sittyton  at  one  time  sixty  fe- 
males descended  from  cows  sired  by  Billy  (3151).  In  color  he  was  a  light 
roan,  almost  white,  with  broad  forehead,  eyes  prominent  and  mild,  horns 
very  short  and  pointing1  toward  his  ears,  carcass  lengthy  and  deep,  on 
short  legs.  He  had  also  a  very  fine  disposition.  At  eight  years  old  his 
live  weight  was  2,500  Ibs.,  and  his  girth  around  the  heart  eight  feet  four 
Inches.  He  was  very  heavy  in  front,  but  not  so  neat  and  good  in  his  hind- 
quarterSo  This  description  was  given  by  Mr.  T.  F.  Jamieson  of  Ellon. 
Aberdeenshire,  in  the  London  (Eng.)  Live-stock  Journal  for  May  26, 1883. 


562        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

property  of  Hugh  Watson,  in  which  case  she 
would  be  entitled  to  credit  in  connection  with 
the  birth  of  the  Aberdeen-Angus  breed  as  well 
as  furnishing  the  foundation  of  the  Aberdeen- 
shire  Short-horns.  Speaking  of  this  remark 
able  cow  the  late  Amos  Cruickshank  once 
said:  "I  question  if  ever  there  was  a  better 
breed  of  Short-horns  either  in  England,  Scot- 
land or  anywhere  else  than  the  Lady  Sarah 
tribe." 

About  1840  Barclay  began  another  herd  with 
Mahomed  at  the  head.  He  bought  ten  females 
at  a  sale  made  by  Hon.  J.  B.  Simpson  of  Bab- 
worth,  in  Nottinghamshire,  and  Wetherell  pur- 
chased some  heifers  and  calves  for  him  from 
Burrows  of  Carleton  Hall,  near  Carlisle.  It  is 
stated  that  probably  the  best  cow  in  this  sec- 
ond herd  was  Julia,  a  roan  that  carried  more 
or  less  Booth  blood  and  was  sired  by  Paganini 
(2405).  She  became  the  dam  of  two  bulls  af- 
terward extensively  used  at  Ury — Pacha  (7612) 
and  The  Duke  (7593).  Paganini  was  full  of  Col. 
Cradock's  blood.  The  2d  Duke  of  Northumber- 
land (3646)  was  hired  for  service  from  Mr. 
Bates  in  1842,  but  after  serving  a  year  at  Ury 
was  transferred  to  Mr.  Grant  Duff's  herd  at 
Edenr  where  he  remained  two  years  and  got 
one  very  good  bull  called  Duplicate  Duke 
(6952).  The  Duchess  bull  nevertheless  did  not 
leave  a  very  good  reputation  in  the  North. 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  563 

Duke  (7593)  was  another  of  his  sons,  which, 
along  with  The  Pacha,  did  most  of  the  work 
in  the  herd  during  the  remainder  of  its  exist- 
ence. 

The  final  dispersion  occurred  Sept.  22,  1847, 
with  Wetherell  as  auctioneer.  There  were 
about  ninety  of  the  Ury  cattle  at  that  date, 
but  prices  were  not  so  good  as  at  the  previous 
sale.  Probably  the  quality  was  not  equal  to 
the  original  Lady  Sarah  lot.  Forty-two  cows 
averaged  £34  14s.  each,  the  highest  being  Rosa- 
mond, by  Sultan  (5349),  which  went  to  Long- 
more  of  Rettie  at  73  guineas,  and  Molly,  by  The 
Pacha,  bought  by  Hay  of  Shethin  for  71  guin- 
eas. Campbell  of  Kinellar  here  laid  the  foun- 
dation for  his  afterward  celebrated  herd  by  the 
purchase  of  two  heifers  by  The  Pacha.  The 
Messrs.  Cruickshank  of  Sittyton  were  also  buy- 
ers. The  ninety-one  animals  fetched  an  aver- 
age of  £31  Is.  each. 

Ury  was  undoubtedly  the  corner  stone  of  the 
Scottish  Short-horn  structure.  The  bulls  from 
the  Barclay  herd  were  used  originally  to  cross 
upon  the  native  black  cows,  and  the  improve- 
ment wrought  was  so  apparent  that  probably 
a  majority  of  the  herds  of  the  district  received 
an  infusion  of  Ury  blood.  The  result  was  a 
demand  for  Short-horn  bulls  that  finally  turned 
the  attention  of  such  men  as  Grant  Duff  of 
Eden,  Hay  of  Shethin,  the  Cruickshanks  of 


564        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Sittyton,  and  many  others  to  the  production  of 
pure-bred  Short-horns.* 

Hutcheson  of  Monyruy. — John  Hutcheson, 
tenant  of  the  farm  of  Monyruy,  near  Peter- 
head,  was  the  owner  of  a  large  granite  quarry 
that  supplied  many  of  the  great  blocks  for  the 
London  docks,  and  was  also  interested  in  the 
whale  fisheries.  He  made  a  capital  start  in 
Short-horn  breeding  in  1837  by  the  purchase  of 
Capt.  Barclay's  Billy  (3151),  above  mentioned, 
and  secured  females  from  B.  Wilson  of  Bra- 
with,  Fawkes  of  Farnley  Hall,  Rennie  of  Kin- 
blethmont,  and  others.  He  also  bought  in  Eng- 
land the  great  prize-winning  bull  Sir  Thomas 
Fairfax  (5196),  of  Whitaker's  breeding.  The 
bull  was  eight  years  old  at  the  time  of  its  pur- 
chase in  1845,  and,  although  he  was  of  massive 
character  and  had  never  been  defeated  in  the 
South,  long-continued  training  for  the  show- 
yard  proved  his  ruin,  as  he  died  six  months 


*McCombie  of  Tillyfour,  who  knew  Barclay  well,  says:  "Though  he 
remains  without  a  national  acknowledgement  of  his  merits,  no  man  de- 
served better  of  the  farmers  of  Scotland,  for  he  was  their  firm  supporter 
through  life,  in  good  and  bad  report.  *  *  *  I  have  been  many  a  day  in 
company  with  him  and  have  the  most  vivid  recollection  of  him  as  he  ex- 
amined the  stock  in  a  show-yard.  *  *  *  He  was  a  claimant  of  the  Earl- 
dom of  Monteith.  No  one  would  have  made  any  mistake  as  to  Capt.  Bar- 
clay being  a  gentleman,  although  his  dress  was  plain— a  long  green  coat 
with  velvet  collar,  and  big  yellow  buttons;  a  colored  handkerchief;  long, 
yellow  cashmere  vest;  knee  breeches;  very  wide  top-boots,  with  long 
brown,  dirty  tops,  and  plain  black  hat,  generally  pretty  well  worn,  *  *  * 
His  horses  were  the  strongest  and  his  fields  the  largest  in  the  country.  He 
said,  'He  did  not  like  a  field  in  which  the  cattle  could  see  one  another  every 
day.'  *  »  »  He  was  found  dead  in  his  bed  in  1854;  and  in  him  the  tenant 
farmers  of  Scotland  and  the  poor  of  his  own  neighborhood  lost  one  of  their 
bestfrienus." 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  56") 

after  being  taken  to  Scotland,  leaving  but  two 
calves,  both  heifers.  These  grew  up  to  be  ex- 
cellent cows,  one  of  which,  Edith  Fairfax,  was 
bought  by  Messrs.  Cruickshank,  leaving  some 
good  descendants  at  Sitty ton.  The  other,  White 
Fairfax,  became  the  ancestress  of  a  good  family 
in  the  herd  of  James  Bruce  of  Inverquhomery. 
Speaking  of  these  Fairfax  heifers  Mr.  Jamieson, 
to  whom  the  author  is  indebted  for  many  val- 
uable facts  in  relation  to  the  early  Aberdeen- 
shire  herds,  says:  "Edith  Fairfax  was  out  of 
a  fine  breeding  cow  called  Fancy,  by  Billy 
(3151),  while  While  Fairfax's  sire  and  dam 
were  by  Billy.  The  latter  seemed  to  have  put 
constitution  into  everything  he  got." 

In  1847  Hutcheson  visited  England  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Amos  Cruickshank  *  and  hired 
from  Warlaby  the  bull  Fitz  Leonard  (7110) 
at  80  guineas  the  season.  He  was  shipped  by 
steamer  to  Hull  and  walked  thirty  miles  to 
Monyruy  where  he  was  retained  two  years. 
Fitz  Leonard  was  described  by  Peter  Boddie, 

*  "Just  as  the  Scotchmen  were  starting,"  says  Jamieson,  "a  letter  came 
from  Peterhead  saying-  that  Hutcheson's  ship,  the  Traveller,  had  arrived 
from  Davis  Straits  with  a  bumper  cargo  of  oil.  He  therefore  resolved  to 
set  about  things  in  proper  style.  On  reaching  Hull  a  carriage  was  char- 
tered with  a  pair  of  spanking  horses  and  the  two  Aberdonians  drove 
through  the  Northern  counties  inspecting  the  various  herds.  Mr.  Cruick- 
shank had  set  his  heart  on  buying  a  fine  bull  called  Fairfax  Royal,  bred  by 
Torr,  and  to  be  sold  at  an  approaching  sale  at  Walkeringham.  Knowing 
the  high  spirits  of  his  companion  he  dreaded  that  Hutcheson  might  take  a 
fancy  for  the  same  animal  and  be  an  opponent  at  the  sale,  but,  as  luck 
would  have  it,  Richard  Booth  came  on  the  scene  and  carried  Hutcheson  off 
wUh  him  to  Warlaby,  where  he  concluded  the  bargain  for  Fitz  Leonard." 


566        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Hutcheson's  herdsman,  as  a  lengthy  enough 
beast  but  not  very  broad;  with  shortish  legs 
and  good  enough  quality.  In  the  language  of 
the  old  cowman,  "the  warst  thing  aboot  him 
was  his  heed."  Although  he  proved  something 
of  a  disappointment  in  Scotland,  and  Amos 
Cruickshank  averred  that  he  would  not  have 
used  him  at  all,  yet  on  his  return  to  Warlaby 
Fitz  Leonard  sired  Mr.  Booth's  world-famous 
Crown  Prince  (10087).  The  Hutcheson  herd 
was  dispersed  in  1852,  some  of  the  best  cattle 
going  to  Sittyton. 

Grant  Duff  of  Eden. — The  farm  of  Eden  was 
a  small  estate  along  the  banks  of  the  River 
Deveron  in  Northwestern  Aberdeenshire,  on 
the  Banffshire  border,  and  between  the  years 
1839  and  1854  one  of  the  best  of  the  early  Scot- 
tish herds  was  there  maintained.  Mr.  Grant, 
as  he  was  known  in  his  earlier  manhood,  had 
been  in  the  employ  of  the  East  India  Co.  and 
had  acquired  reputation  as  a  man  of  fine  judg- 
ment in  that  service  in  Bombay.  It  was  upon 
his  inheriting  the  property  of  Eden  that  he  as- 
sumed the  name  of  Duff.  He  set  about  the 
formation  of  his  herd  with  a  determination  to 
possess  as  good  cattle  as  could  be  found  in  all 
Britain.  He  visited  the  Short-horn  breeding 
districts  of  England  and  bought  some  of  his 
first  cows  from  Chrisp  of  Northumberland. 
From  Mr.  Crofton  he  bought  the  bull  The  Peer 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  567 

(5455).  Heifers  were  obtained  from  the  Earl 
of  Carlisle  and  Benjamin  Wilson  of  Brawith. 
On  one  of  his  English  visits  he  met  Thomas 
Bates,  who  succeeded  in  inoculating  him  with 
somewhat  of  his  own  enthusiasm  for  his  pet 
strains.  The  result  was  the  purchase  of  the 
bull  Holkar  (4041),  sired  by  Belvedere  and  out 
of  a  cow  having  two  crosses  of  2d  Hubback. 
He  was  a  good  individual,  four  years  old,  deep 
red  in  color,  with  a  few  white  patches,  and  was 
taken  to  Eden  in  May,  1840,  at  a  cost  of  £162. 
Unfortunately  he  remained  useful  but  a  short 
time.  A  few  years  later  the  2d  Duke  of  North- 
umberland (3646),  that  had  been  on  hire  at 
Capt.  Barclay's,  was  leased  for  service.  He 
was  not  as  good  a  bull  "as  Holkar,  being  harsh 
in  his  hair  and  possessed  of  a  vicious  disposi- 
tion, as  well  as  a  dark  nose,  but  remained 
at  Eden  two  seasons  nevertheless  and  sired 
some  good  stock,  including  the  two  bulls  Du- 
plicate Duke  (6962)  and  Dannecker  (7949),  the 
latter  sold  to  Longmore  of  Rettie. 

The  show-yard  victories  of  the  Booths  had 
by  this  time  begun  to  interest  the  North,  and 
an  agent  was  dispatched  to  Warlaby  for  a  bull. 
It  is  stated  that  he  was  offered  the  use  of  Buck- 
ingham (3239),  then  five  years  of  age;  but  as 
that  great  sire  was  never  an  impressive  animal 
individually  the  proposition  was  not  accepted, 
and  Duff's  deputy  proceeded  to  Kirklevington, 


568        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

where  he  hired  Duke  of  Richmond  (7996),  sired 
.by  2d  Cleveland  Lad  (3408)  out  of  Duchess  50th. 
This  bull  was  followed  by  two  others  of  Bates 
blood— Young  4th  Duke  (9037)  and  llth  Duke 
of  York  (11399);  both  bred  by  G.  D.  Trotter, 
near  Darlington.  While  it  thus  appears  that 
the  majority  of  the  Eden  bulls  were  of  Bates 
origin,  there  was  another  sire,  introduced  from 
the  herd  of  Wilson  of  Brawith,  that  proved 
perhaps  a  better  stock-getter  than  any  of  them 
save  Holkar.  This  was .  Robin-o'-Day  (4973), 
sired  by  Mr.  Wiley's  Carcase  (3285). 

Brawith  Bud. — The  best  cow  ever  intro- 
duced into  the  herd  and  one  of  the  most  val- 
uable ever  taken  into  Scotland  was  the  red- 
and-white  Brawith  Bud — the  highest-priced 
animal  at  the  Brawith  sale  of  1841,  the  oppos- 
ing bidders  being  John  Booth  of  Killerby  and 
Mr.  Maynard — two  of  England's  best  judges. 
Grant  Duff  was  one  of  the  first  breeders  to 
publish  a  private  catalogue  with  foot-notes, 
and  in  one  of  these  is  found  the  following: 
"Although  Brawith  Bud  was  as  well  recollected 
in  this  district  (Banff)  as  any  cow  that  ever  was 
imported  yet,  as  this  is  intended  as  a  record,  it 
may  be  as  well  to  repeat  that  she  was  bred  with 
great  care  and  highly  prized  by  the  late  Peter 
Consett  of  Brawith  and  left  by  him  in  special 
legacy  to  his  near  relative,  Benjamin  Wilson, 
who  never  intended  to  sell  her.  She  cost  Mr, 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  569 

Grant  Duff  £178  19s.,  and  paid  him  several 
hundred  per  cent.  She  was  a  useful  cow  until 
eighteen  years  of  age  and  her  sire  was  a  good 
bull  when  eighteen  years  old."  This  remarka- 
ble cow  had  been  bred  from  a  line  of  bulls  be- 
longing mainly  to  Charles  Colling 's  Old  Cherry 
tribe,  receiving  also  a  bit  of  Booth  through  her 
dam's  sire,  Young  Jerry  (8177).  She  was  to 
Eden  what  Lady  Sarah  had  been  to  Ury,  her 
descendants  proving  the  best  cattle  in  the  herd. 
Two  of  them,  the  heifers  Second  Mint  and  Pure 
Gold,  went  into  the  Cruickshank  herd,  where 
they  gave  rise  to  one  of  the  best  Sittyton  fam- 
ilies. 

Numerous  public  sales  were  held  from  the 
herd  at  different  times,  so  that  the  Eden  stock 
became  well  distributed  throughout  the  North- 
ern counties.  In  1854  the  entire  herd  was  dis- 
posed of  at  auction,*  the  sale  being  in  charge 

*  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  2d  Duke  of  Northumberland  did  not 
make  a  particularly  favorable  impression  in  the  North,  it  is  apparent  that 
Grant  Duff  believed  that  the  Kirklevington  blood  would  prove  of  value. 
At  the  conclusion  of  his  last  annual  catalogue,  issued  (December,  1853}  be- 
fore his  dispersion,  we  find  the  following: 

"  The  sale  of  the  late  Earl  Ducie,  in  Gloucestershire,  has  stamped  a 
value  on  Mr.  Bates'  blood,  such  as  Mr.  B.  frequently  foretold.  The  above 
animals,  with  very  few  exceptions,  have  all  more  or  less  Kirklevington 
blood,  which,  fortunately,  had  been  already  partially  infused  into  the  stock 
of  this  district  before  the  value  in  England  exceeded  all  ordinary  compe- 
tition. 

"All  the  animals  included  in  the  above  list,  with  the  exception  of  two 
cows  (Star  Pagoda  and  Manganese)  and  one  bull  not  yet  selected,  are  in- 
tended to  be  included  in  the  displenish  sale  at  Mains  of  Eden,  on  Wednes- 
day, 24th  May,  1854,  when  their  present  owner  must  cease  to  share  in  for- 
warding that  important  branch  of  rural  economy,  namely,  the  rearing  ol 
the  best  kinds  of  stock,  but  he  trusts  a  fair  and  generous  rivalry  may  pro- 
long and  far  excel  our  present  progress  in  the  improvement  of  domestic 
animals,  which  it  has  been  his  endeavor  to  aid  and  stimulate." 


570         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

of  Mr.  Stratford,  at  that  time  editor  of  Coates' 
Herd  Book  and  the  leading  auctioneer  of  Great 
Britain.  No  better  evidence  of  the  quality  of 
the  herd  is  required  than  is  furnished  by  the 
fact  that  among  those  who  attended  and  pur- 
chased were  Messrs.  Cruickshank,  Torr,  Tan- 
queray,  Longmore  and  others  prominent  in  the 
trade.  The  top  price  was  100  guineas,  paid  by 
Tanqueray  for  a  daughter  of  Brawith  Bud. 
Amos  Cruickshank  took  Pure  Gold  at  91  guin- 
eas, and  other  lots  commanded  up  to  90  guin- 
eas and  95  guineas. 

Simpson  and  Buchan  Hero. — Mr.  Ferguson 
Simpson,  tenant  of  the  farm  of  Mains  of  Pit- 
four,  bred  a  good  herd  of  Short-horns  from  1835 
to  1846.  His  chief  claim  to  distinction  rests 
upon  his  production  of  the  celebrated  show 
bull  Buchan  Hero  (3238),  winner  of  the  High- 
land Society's  £100  prize  at  Berwick-on-Tweed 
in  1841  as  the  best  bull  of  any  age,  competition 
open  to  all  Britain.*  He  was  a  massive,  deep- 
bodied,  short-legged  roan,  with  a  beautiful  coat, 
and  was  bought  at  Berwick  by  Jonas  Whitaker, 
afterward  passing  into  the  possession  of  Sir 

*"The  Druid"  in  his  delightful  reminiscences  of  Scottish  flocks  ana 
herds,  published  under  the  title  of  "Field  and  Pern,"  speaking  of  Buchan 
Hero's  victory  at  Berwick  says:  "One  of  his  greatest  admirers  who  had 
his  eye  to  a  •  crack '  in  the  palings  on  that  memorable  day  thus  describes 
the  contest.  'I  lookit,  and  they  drew  them,  and  they  sent  a  vast  o'  them 
back.  Again  I  lookit,  and  still  the  Buchan  Hero  stood  at  the  heed.  They 
had  naedoot  of  him  then.  A  Yorkshireman  was  varra  fond  of  him.  And 
he  wan ;  and  Simpson  selt  him  to  Sir  Charles  Tempest  for  200.  It  was  a 
prood  day,  that,  for  Aberdeenshire  and  Mr.  Simpson.'  " 


^GOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  571 

Charles  Tempest  at  350  guineas.  A  yearling 
bull  sired  by  him  brought  200  guineas.  The 
dam  of  Buchan  Hero,  a  cow  called  Young 
Broadhooks,  produced  a  heifer,  Eliza,  that  was 
.bought  for  Sittyton,  and  from  her  the  cham- 
pion show  bull  New' Year's  Gift  (57796),  bred 
by  Lord  Lovat  and  sold  to  the  Queen  of  Eng- 
land, was  descended.  Indeed  it  is  said  that 
this  noted  prize-winner  resembled  in  essential 
characteristics  old  Buchan  Hero  himself. 

Hay  of  Shethin. — One  of  the  most  substan- 
tial characters  among  all  those  who  early  gave 
their  attention  to  Short-horn  breeding  in  the 
North  was  William  Hay,  tenant  of  Shethin, 
one  of  the  many  good  farms  on  the  extensive 
estates  of  the  Earl  of  Aberdeen,  situated  in  the 
valley  of  the  Ythan,  near  Tarves,  and  not  far 
removed  from  Collynie,  Uppermill,  Tillycairn, 
and  others  since  made  famous  by  Duthie  and 
Marr.  Before  taking  up  with  pedigreed  cattle 
Hay  was  one  of  the  leading  graziers  and  feed- 
ers of  this  district  and  is  credited  with  having 
been  the  first  to  ship  bullocks  by  rail  from 
Aberdeen  to  the  London  market.  McCombie 
says  that  the  bull  Jerry  that  was  brought  to 
Shethin  from  Rennie  of  Phantassie  in  1828  by 
Alexander  Hay,  a  brother  of  William's,  was 
the  first  Short-horn  that  ever  crossed  the  River 
Dee.  This  primal  bull  was  white  and  was 
both  long-lived  and  prolific,  leaving  a  deep 


572         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

impression  on  the  native  black  polls  of  the 
district. 

Hay  began  his  Short-horn  breeding  opera- 
tions by  purchases  from  Barclay  of  Ury.  Two 
of  his  best  cows,  Molly  and  Clara  2d— both  by 
The  Pacha — were  bought  at  the  Ury  sale  of 
1847.  From  Molly  came  the  family  of  Mysies. 
The  cow  Vesta,  bred  by  Robert  Smith  of  Bur- 
ley,  became  the  ancestress  of  the  Venuses  and 
Princess  Royals,  both  of  which  have  since  be- 
come prime  favorites  with  the  admirers  of 
Scotch  Short-horns,  but  probably  the  best  cow 
obtained  in  England  was  Marion,  from  the  herd 
of  Mr.  Lovell,  selected  for  Mr.  Hay  by  one  of 
the  leading  cattle  salesmen  of  London.  She 
produced  the  good  stock  bull  Kelly  2d  (9265), 
besides  becoming  the  fountain  head  of  a  fine 
family  of  cows  known  as  the  Lovelys,  after- 
ward celebrated  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Cruick- 
shank,  producing  at  Sittyton  the  prize  bull 
Scotland's  Pride  (25100),  Lord  Lancaster  (26666) 
and  Lord  Lansdowne  (29128).  Another  tribute 
to  the  remarkable  breeding  qualities  of  Simp- 
son's Young  Broadhooks  was  to  be  seen  at 
Shethin  in  the  shape  of  the  splendid  cow  Scot- 
land's Queen,  descended  direct  from  the  darn 
of  Buchan  Hero. 

For  a  number  of  years  home-bred  bulls  were 
used,  no  less  than  five  of  which  descended  in  a 
direct  male  line  from  the  bull  Billy  (8888)  of 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  573 

the  Ury  stock,  fresh  blood  being  brought  in 
each  time  through  the  dams.  Some  service 
was  also  had  from  the  good  bull  Robin  o'  Day 
(4973)  of  Brawith  breeding.  Mr.  Hay  had 
brought  his  herd  to  a  rare  state  of  excellence 
by  1850.  There  was  no  better  in  all  Scotland. 
In  that  year,  along  with  the  brothers  Cruick- 
shank,  he  attended  the  Bates  dispersion  where 
he  purchased,  besides  Waterloo  13th,  the  Duch- 
ess bull  Grand  Duke  (10284)  at  205  guineas,  the 
highest-priced  lot  of  the  day.  It  is  related  that 
before  the  sale  began  the  Messrs.  Cruickshank 
had  discussed  with  Mr.  Hay  the  idea  of  a  joint 
purchase  of  the  4th  Duke  of  York,  which  Mr. 
Amos  Cruickshank  thought  much  the  best  bull 
of  the  sale.  Earl  Ducie's  opening  bid  of  200 
guineas  for  that  bull,  however,  scattered  all  op- 
position at  the  start;  so  that  the  project  of  tak- 
ing the  bull  to  Scotland  fell  through  with  at 
once.  Grand  Duke  was  a  bull  with  rather 
more  length,  both  of  body  and  leg,  than  the 
Scotch  breeders  desired,  but  was  used  two 
years  by  Mr.  Hay  as  an  experiment.  It  was 
thought  that  he  made  no  improvement  in  the 
herd,  and  he  was  sold  to  S.  E.  Bolden  of  Eng- 
land at  the  original  purchase  price.  In  Bol- 
den's  herd  he  proved  more  successful  and  was 
ultimately  sold  to  America  at  $5,000.  The 
Booth  bull  Red  Knight  (11967),  from  Killerby, 
was  next  in  line.  He  had  been  first  as  a  two- 


574        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

year-old  at  the  English  Royal  of  1852,  and 
headed  the  aged  bulls  at  Aberdeen  in  1852. 
He  was  a  compact,  thick-set,  short-legged,  well- 
fleshed  bull,  and  in  1856  was  sent  to  the  Paris 
Exposition.  On  the  return  trip  he  contracted 
foot-and-mouth  disease  and  was  slaughtered 
in  London. 

Mr.  Hay's  death  occurred  in  1854  and  his 
herd  passed  into  the  possession  of  his  son-in- 
law.  Mr.  Shepherd,  who,  in  1856,  bought  the 
bull  Bosquet  (14183),  of  Sir  Charles  Knightley's 
breeding,  and  in  1858  Cherry  Duke  2d  (14265) 
from  Mr.  Bolden.  The  latter  made  a  great 
record  at  the  great  Northern  shows  1859-1861, 
but  was  not  specially  satisfactory  as  a  sire.  In 
feet,  it  has  usually  been  claimed  that  the 
Shethin  cattle  were  better  before  the  Bates, 
Booth  or  Knightley  bloods  were  introduced. 
The  herd  was  dispersed  in  1863,  at  which 
time  it  aggregated  134  head,  including  sixteen 
Mysies,  ten  Lovelys  and  nine  Waterloos,  be- 
sides a  lot  of  Claras,  Rosemarys,  etc.  The 
event  occurred  Wednesday,  July  29,  Mr.  Straf- 
ford  presiding.  Messrs.  Cruickshank  bought 
the  eleven-year-old  red  Mysie  3d  at  50  guineas, 
Mysie  26th  at  21  guineas,  Princess  Royal  5th  at 
46  guineas  and  Lovely  8th  at  41  guineas.  Mr. 
Marr  of  Uppermill  bought  Princess  Royal  6th 
for  24  guineas.  William  Duthie  bought  a  pair 
of  Wanton  heifers  at  17  and  20  guineas.  The 


SCOTLAND'S  SEARCHING  TEST.  575 

Duke  of  Richmond  made  a  number  of  pur- 
chases and  one  of  the  Waterloos  was  bought 
by  Col.  Pennant  of  Penrhyn  Castle,  Wales,  at 
51  guineas.  The  highest  price  was  64  guineas, 
given  by  Mr.  Wilson  of  Bray  ton  for  the  heifer 
Waterloo  21st. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 


AMOS  CKUICKSHANK  OF  SITTYTON. 

To  Ketton,  Kirklevington,  Killerby  and  Ayles- 
by  we  have  now  to  add  the  name  of  Sittyton, 
Mr.  Bates,  the  elder  Booth  and  William  Tori 
did  not  survive  to  witness  the  crowning  show- 
yard  and  sale-ring  triumphs  of  their  favorites. 
Amos  Cruickshank,."the  herdsman  of  Aber- 
deenshire,"  more  fortunate  in  that  respect  than 
the  great  English  breed-builders,  lived  to  re- 
ceive recognition  both  at  home  and  abroad  as 
one  of  the  few  great  constructive  breeders  of 
Short-horn  history.  An  inspiring  story  this  of 
Sittyton.  Not  a  legend  of  Aladdin  and  his 
lamp,  but  a  plain,  unvarnished  tale  of  patient, 
persistent,  unfaltering  pursuit  of  an  ideal  fol- 
lowed over  all  obstacles  to  the  goal  of  final  and 
complete  success. 

Born  in  1808  and  reared  in  the  County  of 
Aberdeen,  entering  the  ranks  of  the  tenant- 
farmers  of  the  district  at  the  period  of  greatest 
activity  and  progress  in  the  development  of  the 
modern  agriculture  of  the  North ;  engaging  in 
the  very  thick  of  the  fight  for  leadership  in  the 
work  of  evolving  a  type  of  cattle  suited  to  the 

(5761 


AMOS  OKUICKSHANK  OF  SITT^TON, 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  577 

exacting  requirements  of  his  native  heath; 
competing  with  a  class  of  farmers  probably  un- 
matched in  all  the  world  in  respect  to  the  in- 
telligence and  skill  with  which  they  manage 
their  lands  and  live  stock;  leaving  all  beaten 
tracks  and  marking  out  a  distinctive  policy  of 
his  own;  loyally  supported  in  his  task  by  an 
enterprising  brother-partner,  the  life  and  work 
of  Amos  Cruickshank  looms  up  above  all  con- 
temporary effort  in  the  North  of  Scotland  even 
as  Ben  Nevis  dominates  in  majesty  the  moun- 
tain wilderness  of  the  West. 

A  new  type  sought.— Amos  Cruickshank 
was  a  man  with  a  well-defined  purpose.  Firm 
as  a  rock  in  his  convictions,  steadfast  to  the 
end  in  maintaining  his  views,  he  recognized  no 
test  of  value  in  cattle  save  that  of  demonstrated 
ability  to  turn  straw,  turnips  and  "cake"  into 
pounds,  shillings  and  pence  at  a  profit.  Beauty 
was  to  his  severely  practical  eye  but  skin-deep 
at  best.  Of  itself  it  paid  no  rent.  He  never 
allowed  himself,  therefore,  in  making  his  selec- 
tions of  breeding  stock  to  lose  his  heart  or  head 
to  any  beast,  be  it  ever  so  "  bonny,"  if  it  had 
only  graceful  outlines  or  mere  "sweetness"  of 
character  to  recommend  it. 

The  Cruickshank  creed  demanded  first  of  all 
"a  good  middle."  The  signs  of  constitution 
and  digestive  capacity  in  cattle  present  their 
most  visible  manifestations  in  the  body  rather 


37 


578        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

than  in  the  extremities.  Vitality  and  feeding 
quality  were  with  Amos  Cruickshank  consid- 
erations paramount.  A  broad,  full  chest,  wide 
back  and  deep  ribs  were  his  all-in-all.  The 
head  had  attention  only  as  it  gave  some  token 
as  to  the  vigor  or  probable  capacity  of  the  ani- 
mal for  feed-lot  or  reproductive  purposes.  The 
rump  carried  cheap  meat  and  was,  in  his  view, 
of  wholly  secondary  importance.  Level  quar- 
ters and  fine  fronts  he  fully  appreciated,  but  if 
the  "middle"  was  weak  the  fault  with  him  was 
fatal.  While  not  opposed  to  "finish,"  and  fully 
sensible  of  the  value  of  "style/7  he  took  the 
ground  that,  from  the  tenant-farmer's  view- 
point, if  other  and  more  vital  qualifications 
were  wanting  the  Short-horn  could  not  hope 
to  withstand  the  ordeals  of  the  climate  of 
North  Scotland  or  satisfy  the  close  calculations 
of  feeders  who  wrested  their  forage  from  an 
unwilling  soil. 

As  for  pedigree  he  had  originally  imbibed 
something  of  the  same  contempt  felt  by  Ren- 
nie  of  Phantassie  and  Robertson  of  Ladykirk. 
When  in  quest  of  stock  to  suit  his  purpose  his 
mind  was  an  open  book  so  far  as  the  great 
rival  strains  of  blood  were  concerned.  The 
names  of  Bates,  Booth,  Towneley,  or  Torr 
moved  him  to  no  expression  of  mere  sentimen- 
tal regard  for  the  stock  of  the  English  leaders. 
He  listened  with  comparative  indifference  to 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  579 

the  story  of  the  Duchesses  and  viewed  with 
equanimity  the  rising  reputation  of  Warlaby. 
Cool  and  calculating,  deliberate  always,  never 
carried  off  his  feet  by  the  currents  of  fashion  that 
whirled  round  about  the  Short-horn  breeders 
of  his  time,  it  was  with  him  always  and  for- 
ever a  question  only  of  "what  is  best  for  our 
country,  our  agriculture,  our  people?"  And  so 
he  started  out  on  the  indifferent  soil  of  Sittyton 
of  Straloch  to  rear  a  class  of  cattle  that  should 
meet  the  Scottish  want.  Untrammeled  by 
prejudices,  unmoved  by  the  gongs  and  cymbals 
of  those  who  were  attracting  the  attention  of 
the  majority  of  his  contemporaries,  this  silent 
man  of  destiny,  keeping  his  own  counsel,  re- 
served and  retiring  beyond  all  his  colleagues; 
honest,  faithful,  upright  and  inflexible  in  his 
service  in  behalf  of  Northern  agriculture,  pur- 
sued the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  often  discour- 
aged but  never  despairing,  seeking  in  every 
nook  and  corner  of  the  United  Kingdom  for 
material  likely  to  aid  in  developing  his  herd; 
testing  first  one  blood  and  then  another,  until 
finally  a  blade  was  found  that  cut  the  Gordian 
knot  for  him  and  Scotland. 

While  the  Sittyton  herd  was  progressing  to 
its  apotheosis  it  had  the  service  of  a  succes- 
sion of  distinguished  sires  and  show  bulls.  It 
has  been  said  that  Mr.  Cruickshank  did  not 
participate  in  th^  "wild  hurrah"  for  "fashion- 


580         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

able"  blood,  because  of  the  proverbial  Scottish 
prudence;  that  is  to  say  because  he  wa,s  aot  en- 
terprising enough  to  relax  the  partnership  purse 
strings  for  the  purpose  of  securing  specimens 
of  the  prevailing  popular  sorts.  This  is  alto- 
gether lacking  in  truth.  For  years  the  breed- 
ing farms  and  National  show-yards  of  England, 
Scotland  and  Ireland  were  visited  in  quest  of 
such  material  as  approximated  the  Sittyton 
ideal.  There  was  nothing  niggardly  in  a  policy 
that  dictated  the  payment  of  $2,000  for  individ- 
ual bulls  and  nothing  narrow  in  the  plans  that 
finally  brought  the  herd  to  a  total  of  over  300 
head  of  registered  cattle  —  the  largest  in  all 
Britain. 

The  brothers  Cruickshank.— Amos  and  An- 
thony Cruickshank,  who  were  jointly  interested 
in  the  breeding  operations  carried  on  at  Sitty- 
ton, were  born  and  reared  on  a  farm  near  the 
little  village  of  Inverurie,  some  fifteen  miles 
northwest  of  the  Aberdonian  capital.  Amos, 
retiring  by  nature  and  preferring  the  peace 
and  quiet  of  rural  scenes  to  the  bustle  of  shops 
and  streets,  devoted  his  attention  wholly  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  Anthony  decided  to  en- 
gage in  trade  at  Aberdeen,  where  he  succeeded 
in  establishing  a  good  business  and  subsequent- 
ly acquired  considerable  local  prominence  in 
commercial  and  banking  circles.  He  was  a 
man  of  great  energy  and  public  spirit,  and 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  581 

while  the  credit  for  the  development  of  the 
Sittyton  Short-horns  must  be  rested  primarily 
upon  the  sound  judgment  and  practical  sense 
of  Amos,  still  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  it 
was  largely  through  the  determination  of  An- 
thony that  such  vigorous  and  persistent  efforts 
were  made  for  so  many  years  in  the  matter 
of  foundation  stock.  It  was  in  a  little  back 
room  at  Anthony  Cruickshank's  place  of  busi- 
ness in  the  city  of  Aberdeen  that  the  idea  of 
the  Royal  Northern  Show  was  first  conceived. 
Barclay  of  Ury,  Grant  Duff  and  other  kindred 
spirits  were  called  in  conference  and  the  result 
of  their  deliberations  was  the  establishment  of 
that  afterward  useful  agricultural  show  associ- 
ation. The  Sittyton  Short-horns  were  for  a 
long  series  of  years  exhibited  at  the  leading 
Scottish  National  and  local  shows,  winning 
their  way  to  great  public  favor  and  general 
patronage. 

Anthony  with  his  commercial  instincts  was 
anxious  to  secure  a  reputation  for  the  partner- 
ship herd.  He  favored  all  schemes  looking 
toward  the  bringing  of  the  Sittyton  Short-horns 
prominently  before  the  public.  He  served,  there- 
fore, as  an  efficient  "  promoter."  Amos  soon  de- 
veloped a  genius  for  practical  cattle-breeding. 
Quick  to  detect  faults  he  never  allowed  an  un- 
satisfactory sire  to  remain  long  in  the  herd  no 
matter  at  what  cost  a  bull  might  have  been 


582        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

placed  in  service.  Philosophical  always  he  re- 
marked after  having  lost  the  $2,000  purchase, 
Master  Butterfly  2d,  shortly  after  his  arrival  at 
Sittyton:  "  It  is  the  best  thing  that  could  have 
happened,  for  he  would  only  have  done  mis- 
chief in  the  herd.  He  hasn't  died  a  day  too 
soon."  He  was  not  the  man  to  "enthuse"  over 
any  beast,  no  matter  how  great  its  reputation 
or  its  cost,  unless  he  thought  he  could  see  some 
indications  that  it  would  prove  useful  in  devel- 
oping the  type  of  cattle  sought.  The  brothers 
therefore  proved  each  useful  to  the  other.  To- 
gether they  gave  the  world  one  of  its  greatest 
and  most  valuable  herds.* 


*"  The  two  brothers  made  an  excellent  combination,  but  in  some  ways 
were  very  unlike.  Anthony  was  the  keener,  brighter,  more  intellectual 
spirit  of  the  two.  He  had  a  fine  rich  voice  and  dark  bright  eyes,  the  sparkle 
of  which  denoted  a  high  degree  of  intelligence.  Amos  was  stouter  built,  of 
a  quieter  and  more  phlegmatic  type.  The  one  was  always  ready  to  con- 
verse; the  other  was  of  the  silent  sort.  No  interviewer  or  newspaper  cor- 
respondent could  make  any  thing  of  Amos;  even  the  genial  'Druid'  failed 
to  draw  him.  Anthony  would  discuss  the  merits  of  an  animal  in  detail,  be 
it  Short-horn  or  Clydesdale,  and  give  a  reason  for  the  faith  that  was  in  him; 
but  it  required  almost  a  surgical  operation  to  get  any  deliverance  on  the 
subject  from  Amos.  'A  good  beast'  or  ' Not  a  good  beast '  was  about  all 
you  might  expect.  Anthony  attended  to  the  herd-book  entries,  the  adver- 
tising and  cataloguing  of  the  stock,  and,  I  believe,  named  all  the  animals, 
but  the  practical  management  of  the  farms  and  herd  devolved,  of  course, 
on  his  brother.  In  their  numerous  purchases  of  stock  Anthony  looked 
much  to  show-yard  reputation  and  pedigree,  Amos  almost  entirely  to  the 
personal  appearance  of  the  animal  itself,  and  he  had  his  own  notions  of 
what  constituted  a  good  sort.  'I  had  often  great  battles,'  he  told  me,  '  with 
Anthony  about  the  bulls  we  were  to  use.  A  vast  deal  of  money  was  spent 
in  the  purchase  of  animals  that  did  no  good  whatever/  Amos  did  not 
bother  much  with  the  herd  book,  and  I  am  told  could  seldom  be  got  to  look 
at  it.  In  this  respect,  I  believe,  he  resembled  Richard  Booth,  Wilkinson  of 
Lenton  and  many  other  noted  breeders.  His  brother's  object  in  a  large 
measure  was  to  make  the  undertaking  a  commercial  success.  He  studied 
what  would  attract  and  please  his  customers.  Amos,  on  the  other  hand, 
had  the  eye  of  a  breeder  and  strove  to  get  his  animals  of  the  type  that 
pleased  himself.  He  seemed  to  have  an  intuitive  knowledge  cf  what  con- 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  588 

Anthony  Cruickshank  died  in  1879  at  the 
age  of  sixty-six  years.  Amos  lived  to  be 
eighty-seven  years  of  age,  passing  from  the 
scene  of  his  long  and  useful  life  at  Sittyton 
May  27,  1895,  the  herd  having  been  closed  out 
at  private  sale  as  an  entirety  in  1889.  Like 
many  other  of  the  most  noted  Short-horn 
breeders  of  the  century  he  never  married.  He 
was  wedded  only  to  the  herd  that  received 
for  such  an  extended  period  his  most  earnest 
thought  and  devoted  attention.  A  devout 
Quaker  he  carried  into  his  daily  life  the  sim- 
ple, upright,  kindly  teachings  of  his  faith.  It 

stituted  a  good  beast  and  the  development  of  that  which  is  known  as  the 
Cruickshank  type  of  Short-horn  I  believe  to  have  been  almost  entirely  due 
to  Amos. 

"  His  success  as  a  breeder  was  no  doubt  due  to  the  patient,  persevering 
nature  of  the  man,  his  innate  turn  for  the  pursuit,  and  also,  perhaps,  in 
some  degree  to  the  fact  that  he  was  totally  devoid  of  any  sentimental  no- 
tions about  'blood'  and  pedigree.  He  looked  at  the  animal  squarely  as  it 
stood  before  him;  if  it  did  not  come  up  to  his  standard  it  mattered  not  what 
the  pedigree  was  or  who  the  breeder.  I  remember  visiting  him  on  one  occa- 
sion shortly  after  the  arrival  of  some  cows  from  a  distant  herd,  which  had 
been  taken  in  exchange  for  an  equal  number  from  Sittyton.  They  had 
splendid  pedigrees  of  great  length,  with  Roan  Duchesses  and  I  know  not 
what,  all  running  back  to  Frederick,  Belvedere  and  many  a  far-famed  sire, 
but  they  lacked  the  substance,  flesh  and  hair  which  Amos  loved.  As  he 
pointed  them  out  he  could  not  conceal  his  dissatisfaction.  Not  one  of  them 
would  please  him.  I  ventured  to  remark  that  some  of  them  looked  to  be 
milky.  'They  may  have  some  milk,'  said  he,  gloomily,  'but  that  is  about 
the  only  good  thing  about  them.'  Long  experience  and  observation  had 
made  him  a  very  thorough  judge.  For  half  a  century  he  had  watched  over 
a  herd  of  Short-horns  which  for  many  years  was  the  largest  in  the  king- 
dom, and  which  sent  out  animals  that  have  made  the  fortunes  of  many 
other  herds,  not  only  in  this  country  but  in  other  lands.  He  enjoyed  a  long, 
healthy  life,  due  partly  to  his  good  constitution  and  also  to  his  regular,  tem- 
perate habits.  Notwithstanding  his  great  age  his  mind  remained  wonder- 
fully clear  to  the  very  last.  He  was  a  type  of  character  rarely  met  with 
nowadays;  so  free  from  all  vanity,  affectation  and  humbug,  so  unpretend- 
ing, simple  and  true.  As  some  one  well  said, '  There  was  only  one  Amos 
Cruickshank  and  he  is  gone.'  "-T.  F.  Jamieson  in  London  (Eng.)  Live-Stock 
Journal. 


584        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

is  indeed  not  recorded  that  he  ever  spoke  ill  of 
any  man.  Given  little  to  speech  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  even  his  best  friends  could  draw 
him  out.  The  house  in  which  he  lived  and 
died  at  Sittyton  was  a  modest  one,  as  befitted 
the  character  of  its  tenant.  He  was  very  fond 
of  his  shrubbery,  vines  and  flowers,  and  here, 
far  removed  from  "the  madding  crowd,"  he 
worked  out  in  his  own  original  way  the  great 
problem  that  confronted  the  cattle-growers  of 
his  time  in  the  North  of  Scotland. 

The  farm  of  Sittyton. — The  farm  upon  which 
the  Messrs.  Cruickshank  began  their  breeding 
operations  is  situated  about  twelve  miles  north- 
west of  the  granite  city  of  Aberdeen.  From 
the  roadway  leading  to  this,  the  foremost  nur- 
sery of  Scotch-bred  Short-horns,  one  may  catch 
upon  the  east  glimpses  of  the  German  Ocean 
and  toward  the  west,  when  the  air  is  clear,  the 
outlines  of  the  distant  Grampians.  It  consists 
of  about  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  consti- 
tuting a  part  of  the  estate  known  as  Straloch, 
It  has  no  natural  advantages  adapting  it  to 
successful  cattle-breeding  from  the  standpoint 
of  those  accustomed  to  the  fertile  and  well- 
sheltered  farms  abounding  everywhere  in  Eng- 
land and  America.  When  Amos  Cruickshank 
took  possession  in  1837,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
nine  years,  the  land  was  in  poor  condition  and 
stood  greatly  in  need  of  buildings,  as  well  as 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  585 

drainage,  but  he  went  to  work  with  a  will; 
the  necessary  improvements  were  provided 
and  an  immediate  start  was  made  with  Short- 
horns. Some  ten  years  later  the  herd  had  in- 
creased to  proportions  that  made  it  necessary 
to  take  a  lease  of  the  neighboring  farm  of 
Clyne,  rendering  about  five  hundred  acres  of 
land  available.  This  sufficed  for  a  time,  but 
the  breeding  operations  were  carried  forward 
on  such  an  extensive  scale  that  it  was  found 
desirable  to  increase  the  holding  still  further 
by  leasing  another  adjacent  tract  of  about  one 
hundred  and  thirty  acres,  known  as  Longside. 
Still  their  ambition  was  unsatisfied,  and  in 
1855  the  brothers  obtained  control  of  the  fine 
farm  known  as  Mains  of  Udny,  some  five 
miles  distant,  bringing  the  total  area  under 
their  control  up  to  900  acres.  The  herd  at- 
tained a  membership  of  more  than  three 
hundred  head  during  the  period  of  its  greatest 
expansion,  say  between  the  years  of  1860  and 
1870,  and  a  lease  of  the  small  tract  known 
locally  as  Middleton  gave  them  possession  of 
fully  1,000  acres.  About  1873  the  lease  of 
Longside  terminated  and  a  few  years  later 
that  of  Mains  of  Udny,  necessitating  a  large 
reduction  of  the  herd.  In  the  latter  years  of 
Mr.  Cruickshank's  life  he  was  tenant  of  about 
600  acres,  the  herd  numbering  at  the  time  the 
last  complete  catalogue  was  issued  1 20  head . 


586        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

General  plan  pursued. — Briefly  stated,  the 
methods  of  the  Messrs.  Cruickshank  did  not 
differ  materially  from  those  of  the  elder  Booth. 
Bates  proceeded  on  the  theory  that  a  combina- 
tion of  certain  bloods  must  necessarily  produce 
the  type  he  sought.  Thomas  Booth  and  Amos 
Cruickshank  worked  for  type  alone,  utilizing 
at  first  any  good  material  attracting  their  at- 
tention and  finally  "fixing"  the  desired  con- 
formation by  resort  to  in-and-in  breeding.  In 
the  purchase  of  the  foundation  cows  and  heif- 
ers for  Sittyton  choice  was  usually  made  of 
those  that  seemed  to  possess  good  constitutions 
and  an  aptitude  to  fatten.  If  milking  qualities 
were  shown  that  point  was  also  prized  at  its 
full  value.  Cattle  were  draw7 n  from  widely 
separated  sources,  and  while  Mr.  Cruickshank 
endeavored  to  adhere  to  one  general  ideal  as 
closely  as  possible,  he  was  unable  to  collect  a 
cow  herd  which  in  point  of  uniform  excellence 
would  satisfy  his  aspirations.  Realizing  that 
the  bull  was  the  key  to  the  situation,  greater 
attention  was  bestowed  upon  the  selection  of 
sires  than  upon  choice  of  females.  Beginning 
with  bulls  bought  from  Capt.  Barclay,  no  stone 
was  left  unturned  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  to 
obtain  for  service  at  Sittyton  stock  bulls  of  the 
very  highest  order  of  merit.  In  the  course  of 
that  time  nearly  every  leading  herd  and  every 
important  show-yard  in  the  Kingdom  was 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  587 

visited  in  quest  of  sires  of  the  desired  type. 
In  this  search  no  attempt  was  made  at  confin- 
ing selections  to  any  particular  line  of  blood. 
It  was  a  question  not  of  descent  but  of  type. 
It  was  not  until  after  1860  that  the  policy 
of  purchasing  bulls  for  service  was  modified. 
Up  to  that  time,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
a  remarkable  succession  of  noted  bulls  had 
seen  service  in  the  herd,*  that  uniformity  in 
essential  characteristics  which  Mr.  Cruickshank 
so  earnestly  desired  had  not  been  attained. 
When,  therefore,  the  get  of  the  home-bred 
bull  Champion  of  England  (17526)  made  their 
appearance  the  whole  policy  was  changed  and 
a  system  of  inbreeding  begun.  His  stock  ap- 
proached closely  the  Sittyton  idea  of  what 
a  North  of  Scotland  Short-horn  ought  to  be, 
and  for  generations  afterward  the  best  of  his 
sons,  grandsons  and  great-grandsons  were  kept 
in  service.  From  that  time  forward  im- 
provement in  the  matter  of  uniformity  was 
rapid.  Latterly  the  stock  bulls  were  all  bred 
upon  the  farm;  the  size  of  the  herd  and  the 

*  McCombie  in  his  interesting  little  volume  on  "  Cattle  and  Cattle-Breed- 
ers" says:  "Foremost  among  eminent  breeders  of  Short-horns  in  the 
North  at  the  present  time  are  the  Messrs.  Cruickshank,  Sittyton.  Their 
fame  is  European;  they  own  the  largest  herds  of  Short-horns  in  the  world. 
It  is  only  necessary  to  name  Fairfax  Royal,  Prince  Edward  Fairfax,  Velvet 
Jacket,  Matadore,  Lord  Sackville,  The  Baron  by  Baron  Warlaby,  Master 
Butterfly  2d,  John  Bull,  Lancaster  Comet,  Lord  Raglan,  Ivanhoe,  Lord 
Garlies,  Malachite,  Windsor  Augustus,  Sir  James  the  Rose  and  last,  though 
not  least,  Forth,  to  show  the  distinguished  position  their  herd  has  taken. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  no  other  breeder  of  Short-horns  can  claim  having 
owned  such  an  array  of  first-class  bulls." 


588        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

great  variety  of  blood  represented  in  it  en- 
abling Mr.  Cruickshank  to  carry  on  his  process 
of  concentration  for  many  years  with  little 
danger  of  deterioration. 

To  undertake  an  enumeration  of  all  the  vari- 
ous purchases  made  for  the  herd  would  be  a 
useless  task.  Sittyton  was  represented  for  a 
long  series  of  years  at  every  auction  sale  of 
any  consequence  in  Great  Britain,  and  many 
animals  from  many  different  herds  and  of  vari- 
ous lines  of  breeding  were  bought.  Some  of 
these  gave  satisfaction  and  some  did  not.  We 
need  allude  here  only  to  such  as  left  some  im- 
press on  the  herd. 

The  first  of  the  Violets.— It  was  in  1837  that 
Amos  Cruickshank  laid  the  foundation  for  the 
Sittyton  Herd.  In  that  year  he  made  a  pil- 
grimage to  the  South  in  quest  of  Short-horns, 
proceeding  as  far  as  the  County  of  Durham, 
England.  With  characteristic  caution  he  re- 
turned to  the  North  with  but  a  solitary  heifer 
as  the  fruit  of  his  travels.  The  following  year 
he  again  visited  England  and  secured  about  a 
dozen  heifers.  These  are  said  to  have  been 
bought  from  a  Mr.  George  Williamson  of  North 
Lincolnshire,  and  one  of  them,  Moss  Rose,  be- 
came the  maternal  ancestress  of  a  family  after- 
ward famous  at  Sittyton  as  the  Violets.  In 
1843  Moss  Rose  produced  to  a  service  by  the 
Ury  bull  Inkhorn  a  dark-roan  heifer  that  was 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF    SITTYTON.          589 

named  Red  Rose,  that  became  the  dam  of  the 
beautiful  cow  Carmine  Rose,  by  Fairfax  Royal, 
which,  bred  to  the  bull  Hudson  (9228),  dropped 
China  Rose,  whence  came  Roseate,  by  Mata- 
dore,  the  dam  of  the  great  roan  Violet,  by  Lord 
Bathhurst  (13173).  Violet  proved  an  extraor- 
dinary breeder  and  her  name  was  given  to  the 
females  tracing  descent  in  their  maternal  line 
from  her.  She  was  the  dam  of  the  grand  cow 
Village  Rose,  by  Champion  of  England ;  the 
prize-winning  Sweet  Violet,  by  Lord  Stanley, 
and  Red  Violet,  by  Allan,  and  of  the  roan  stock 
bull  Grand  Monarque  (21867),  by  Champion  of 
England. 

Venus  tribe. — This  sort  at  Sittyton  was  orig- 
inally derived  from  a  red  heifer  bought  at  a 
sale  held  by  Mr.  Rennie  of  Kinblethmont,  For- 
farshire,  who  was  said  to  have  been  a  brother 
of  Rennie  of  Phantassie.  This  was  in  1841. 
Venus  was  out  of  a  cow  called  Dairymaid,  bred 
from  the  stock  of  Robertson  of  Ladykirk.  It 
is  stated  that  the  immediate  descendants  of 
Venus  were  "real  good  milkers,  but  rather 
rough  and  bare  of  flesh."  Later  on,  however, 
they  acquired  the  valuable  general  characteris- 
tics of  the  best  Sittyton  stock,  those  descending 
through  Flora,  by  Fairfax  Royal,  and  her  grand- 
daughter. Morning  Star  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land, being  perhaps  the  most  highly  prized. 
The  bull  Beeswing  (12456),  sold  to  Campbell  of 


590        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Kinellar,  was  a  son  of  Flora.  The  Venus  fam- 
ily was  retained  until  the  final  dispersion  of 
the  herd. 

The  family  of  Mimulus. — A  good  Short-horn 
cow  was  bought  in  1841  from  the  Rev.  Robert 
Douglas  of  the  parish  of  Ellon,  not  far  from 
Sittyton.  The  minister  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  first-class 
judge.  The  cow  in  question  had  been  bred  by 
John  Rennie  of  Phantassie  from  a  Ladykirk 
foundation.  At  Sittyton  she  was  bred  to  Ink- 
horn  and  produced  the  heifer  Phantassie,  which 
in  turn  left  the  heifer  Maidstone,  by  Matadore. 
The  latter  to  a  service  by  Lord  Raglan  pro- 
duced Mistletoe,  that  was  the  dam  of  the  ex- 
traordinary red  cow  Mimulus,  by  Champion  of 
England.  This  cow  was  sold  to  Hon.  John 
Dryden  of  Canada,  after  having  produced  at 
Sittyton  the  bull  calf  that  subsequently  devel- 
oped into  the  great  bull  Royal  Duke  of  Gloster 
(29864),  the  sire  of  such  bulls  as  Roan  Gauntlet 
(35284),  Barmpton  (37763),  Grand  Vizier  (34086) 
and  Privy  Seal  (50168);  and  such  cows  as  Cus- 
tard, the  dam  of  Cumberland,  Souvenir,  Silvia, 
Lavender  17th,  Garnish  and  Violet  Queen.  In 
Canada  Mimulus  became  the  darn  of  the  famous 
bull  Barmpton  Hero  that  did  splendid  service 
up  to  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  contributing 
many  thick-fleshed,  compactly-fashioned  cattle 
of  the  real  Aberdeenshire  type  to  various 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK    OF    SITTYTON.  591 

American  breeding  and  show-yard  herds.  The 
family  of  Mimulus  was  never  numerous  at  Sit- 
tyton  and  exerted  its  influence  upon  the  herd 
mainly  through  Royal  Duke  of  Gloster. 

Picotee  and  her  progeny.— In  1841  a  cow 
called  Sunflower,  descended  from  Phantassie 
and  Ladykirk  blood,  was  bought  from  James 
Walker.  She  produced  two  heifers,  one -of 
which,  Picotee,  gave  rise  to  a  numerous  and 
valuable  family.  Indeed  Picotee  herself  at  ten 
years  of  age  was  one  of  the  first-prize  pair  of 
cows  at  Aberdeen  in  1855.  From  her  descend- 
ed Joyful  2d,  a  first-prize  heifer  at  the  Royal 
Northern  of  1862;  the  handsome  red  cow  Flor- 
ence Nightingale,  by  The  Baron;  the  great  roan 
Village  Belle  and  the  red  British  Queen,  both 
by  Champion  of  England. 

The  Matchless  sort. — A  heifer  called  Pre- 
mium, sired  by  George  (2057)  and  in  calf  to 
the  Bates-bred  Holker  (4051),  was  bought  from 
Grant  Duff  in  1841.  To  the  Holker  service  she 
produced  the  heifer  Matchless,  considered  one 
of  the  best  of  her  day  in  the  herd  and  winner 
of  first  prize  at  a  Highland  Show  at  Dundee. 
She  proved  the  first  of  a  noted  race  of  cows 
bearing  her  name,  besides  contributing  through 
her  daughter  Kindly  a  family  of  "Ks,"  of  which 
Kindness  and  Kindred  were  early  representa- 
tives. This  tribe  was  closed  out  in  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  herd  in  1876. 


592        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

The  Broadhooks.— Eliza,  by  White  Bull 
(5643),  a  heifer  that  was  an  own  sister  to  the 
celebrated  Buchan  Hero  (3238),  was  bought 
from  Hutcheson  of  Monyruy,  and  produced  sev- 
eral good  bulls  besides  founding  an  excellent 
family  of  cows  known  as  the  Broadhooks  that 
disappeared  from  the  herd  about  1870.  Eliza 
went  back  to  the  old  Ladykirk  stock.  This 
Broadhooks  tribe  was  the  same  as  that  con- 
tained in  the  herd  of  Lord  Lovat  at  Beaufort, 
that  produced  the  champion  bull  New  Year's 
Gift  (57796). 

Origin  of  the  Lady  tribe. — Always  on  the 
lookout  for  a  good  one,  Mr.  Cruickshank  saw 
and  admired  at  the  Edinburgh  Show  of  1842 
the  two-year-old  heifer  Amelia,  that  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  into  the  prize-list  not  only  at 
Edinburgh  but  at  Berwick.  From  Amelia  came 
one  of  the  best  of  the  earlier  Cruickshank 
tribes,  known  as  the  "  Ladys."  Writing  of  these 
a  correspondent  of  the  Banff  shire  Journal  in 
1864  said:  "The  most  remarkable  descendant 
of  Amelia  is  Grand  Lady,  out  of  Lady  Louisa 
and  sired  by  Lord  Sackville  (13249).  Grand 
Lady  is  worthy  of  her  name.  She  is  a  beauti- 
ful roan  and  the  very  perfection  of  symmetry." 

The  Nonpareils. — A  good  red  cow,  called 
Nonpareil  3d,  came  into  the  herd  in  1844  from 
the  stock  of  Mr.  Cartwright  of  Lincolnshire. 
She  proved  a  fortunate  investment  and  gave 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  593 

rise  to  the  Sittyton  Nonpareils  that  acquired 
much  celebrity  throughout  the  Northern  Coun- 
ties. Several  of  the  family  were  disposed  of  at 
from  100  to  200  guineas  each.  Nonpareil  16th 
of  this  line  was  a  first-prize  heifer  at  Aberdeen 
in  1855.  The  demand  for  females  of  this  sort 
was  extensive.  Many  were  parted  with  and 
some  of  the  Nonpareils  proved  persistent  bull 
breeders;  hence  it  came  about  that  much  to 
the  regret  of  the  Messrs.  Cruickshank  the  orig- 
inal line  disappeared  from  the  herd  about  the 
year  1864.  A  few  years  later  the  cow  Non- 
pareil 12th  was  bought  at  Mr.  Cartwright's  dis- 
persion sale,  but  as  a  breeder  she  did  not  prove 
as  successful  as  the  first  purchase. 

Sittyton  Butterflys. — Upon  the  occasion  of 
the  dispersion  of  Capt.  Barclay's  herd  at  Ury 
in  1847  Messrs.  Cruickshank  improved  the  op- 
portunity for  making  additions  to  their  stock. 
The  first  bulls  used  at  Sittyton  were  of  Ury  ex- 
traction, and  a  number  of  females  of  Barclay 
breeding  were  now  secured.  Among  these 
were  Clara,  by  Mahomed,  and  Strawberry,  by 
2d  Duke  of  Northumberland.  Although  it  is 
stated  that  Strawberry  was  not  so  good  an  in- 
dividual as  Clara  she  produced  at  Sittyton  the 
famous  bull  Pro  Bono  Publico,  that  was  sold 
to  Lord  Clancarty  and  after  a  noted  career  as 
a  prize-taker  in  Ireland  was  shown  with  suc- 
cess at  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1856.  Strawber- 


594         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

ry's  daughter  Bounty,  by  The  Pacha,  dropped 
the  splendid  cow  Buttercup,  by  Report  (10704), 
and  she  in  turn  produced  the  stock  bull  Baro- 
net (16614).  From  her  also  was  derived  a  great 
set  of  cows  known  as  the  Butterflys,  that  proved 
prolific  breeders  of  the  right  sort  of  stock.  In- 
deed Buttercup  was  called  one  of  the  very  finest 
cows  ever  seen  at  Sittyton.  She  was  a  red,  with 
an  exceptionally  strong  back  and  rib,  and  all 
of. her  immediate  descendants  were  similarly 
distinguished.  Butterfly  1st  carried  the  High- 
land Society's  first  prize  in  1856,  and  Butterfly 
4th  was  first  at  the  Royal  Northern  in  1862. 
The  original  Butterfly,  by  Matadore,  was  de- 
scribed as  "a  deep-ribbed  rather  high-standing 
red  cow."  She  proved  long-lived  and  produced 
many  calves,  among  others  two  bulls  that  saw 
some  service  in  the  herd;  to-wit.,  Lord  Byron 
(24363)  and  Royal  Forth  (25022).  Butterfly  9th 
of  this  family  produced  the  red  bull  Breadal- 
bane  (28073),  by  Champion  of  England,  that 
was  used  for  a  time  by  Mr.  Cruickshank  and 
imported  into  Canada  in  1871  by  H.  Thompson. 
The  Ury  cow  Clara,  above  mentioned,  became 
the  dam  of  the  heifer  Barcliana  that  produced 
the  noted  roan  stock  bull  Lord  Sackville 
(13249).  Another  one  of  the  Barclay  cows, 
Emily,  left  a  number  of  descendants  at  Sitty- 
ton, one  of  which,  Lucy,  by  The  Baron,  pro- 
duced the  bull  Lord  Chamberlain  used  in  the 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK    OF    SITTYTON.  595 

herd  in  1864,  and  also  the  bull  Lord  Lyons, 
bought  by  Mr.  Marr  of  Uppermill  at  the  sale  of 
that  year  for  76  guineas. 

Orange  Blossoms. — This  tribe,  which  has  to 
its  credit  the  highest-priced  Cruickshank  cow 
ever  sold  in  America;  to-wit.,  Orange  Blossom 
18th  at  $3,500,  descends  from  the  roan  cow 
Fancy,  by  Billy  (3151),  obtained  in  1847  from 
Hutcheson  of  Monyruy.  Fancy's  dam,  Jessie, 
had  been  purchased  by  Hutcheson  from  Rennie 
of  Kinblethmont,  going  back  to  the  old  Lady- 
kirk  foundation.  Fancy  did  so  well  at  Sitty- 
ton  that  her  daughter,  Edith  Fairfax,  was  also 
bought  from  Hutcheson  in  1851.  She  was  one 
of  the  two  calves  sired  by  the  noted  Sir  Thomas 
Fairfax  (5196),  that  died  at  Hutcheson's.  From 
Edith  Fairfax  some  splendid  Short-horns  were 
bred  at  Sittyton,  among  others  Queen  of  Scot- 
land, by  Matadore,  whose  daughter,  Queen  of 
the  South,  was  one  of  the  greatest  cows  of  her 
day  in  all  Scotland.  She  was  a  roan  of  splen- 
did flesh  and  substance,  and  as  a  yearling  won 
first  prize  at  the  Iloyal  Northern  of  1862,  be- 
sides the  Formartine  Society's  medal  as  the 
best  animal  in  the  yard.  From  Queen  of  Scot- 
land was  also  bred  the  original  Orange  Blos- 
som, by  Doctor  Buckingham  (14405),  one  of 
whose  daughters,  Orange  Blossom  2d,  became 
one  of  the  acknowledged  queens  of  the  herd. 
From  this  family  also  came  the  roan  Delight, 


596        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

dam  of  the  bull  Diphthong,  first-prize  winner 
at  Aberdeen  in  1862  and  1863  and  challenge- 
cup  winner  at  the  Royal  Northern.  From  this 
sort,  also,  sprang  one  of  the  greatest  of  all  the 
latter-day  Scottish  sires,  William  of  Orange,  so 
celebrated  in  the  herd  of  Mr.  Marr  of  Uppermill. 

Admah,  Kilmeny  3d,  and  Eliza  by  Brutus. 
— Cows  introduced  into  the  herd  in  the  early 
"fifties"  that  had  descendants  upon  the  farm 
for  many  years  were  Admah,  by  Fitz  Adolphus 
Fairfax;  Kilmeny  3d,  by  Robin  o'  Day,  and 
Eliza,  by  Brutus.  The  first-named  came  from 
Hutcheson  and  was  out  of  a  cow  by  Richard 
Booth's  Fitz  Leonard  that  had  been  on  hire  two 
seasons  at  Monyruy.  Her  grandam  had  been 
bought  from  Rennie  of  Kinblethmont.  From 
Admah  came  Aroma,  by  Matadore,  whose 
daughter  Oakleaf,  by  The  Baron,  produced  the 
bull  Royal  Oak  (22792),  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land, that  saw  some  service  at  Sittyton.  Kil- 
meny 3d  came  from  Grant  Duff's,  and  her  de- 
scendants were  maintained  in  the  herd  for 
some  years.  Eliza,  by  Brutus,  a  red  cow  bought 
from  Mr.  Cochrane  of  Glasgow  Forest,  acquired 
distinction  as  the  dam  of  Emily,  by  Lord  Sack- 
ville,  that  produced  the  stock  bull  Caesar  Au- 
gustus (25704).  Eliza  was  descended  from  the 
stock  of  Ben  Wilson  of  Brawith. 

Clipper  tribe. — By  the  year  1852  the  number 
of  females  at  Sittyton  exceeded  100  head,  but 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF    SITTYTON.  597 

still  the  quest  for  good  material  went  on.  Dur- 
ing that  year  there  was  bought  from  Mr.  Bos- 
well  of  Kingcausie,  near  Aberdeen,  two  cows 
that  exerted,  perhaps,  a  greater  influence  upon 
the  fortunes  of  the  herd  than  any  other.  These 
were  Verdant  and  Clipper.  The  first  named 
became  the  grandam  of  the  celebrated  Cham- 
pion of  England  and  will  be  referred  to  further 
on  in  connection  with  the  appearance  of  that 
epoch-making  sire. 

Clipper,  by  the  Barclay  bull  Billy  (3151),  was 
a  light- roan  cow,  not  very  large,  "slightly  hol- 
low in  the  back,  but  very  fleshy  and  of  great 
substance."  She  was  seven  years  old  when  she 
came  to  Sittyton,  and  was  descended  from  a 
sort  that  had  been  in  Mr.  BoswelFs  hands  for 
several  generations,  tracing  her  maternal  de- 
scent from  the  Chilton  herd  of  Mr.  Mason.  It 
is  worthy  of  note  that  she  continued  to  breed 
until  fifteen  years  of  age  and  produced  her  best- 
heifer,  Cressida,  by  John  Bull  (11618),  in  her 
fourteenth  year.  To  the  cover  of  The  Czar 
(20947)  Cressida  produced  the  good  red-and- 
white  cow  Carmine,  whose  daughters  by  Cham- 
pion of  England — Princess  Royal  and  Carmine 
Rose — proved  mines  of  bovine  wealth.  Indeed 
this  pair  did  much  toward  convincing  Mr. 
Cruickshank  that  in  Champion  of  England  he 
had  found  the  sire  he  long  had  sought.  Jamie- 
son  of  Ellon  tells  us  that  in  her  day  Carmine 


598        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Rose  was  considered  the  best  combination  of 
beef  and  milk  in  the  entire  herd ;  that  "  her 
bag  would  have  excited  the  cupidity  of  a  Lon- 
don dairyman/'  and  of  the  same  extraordinary 
pattern  was  her  daughter  Cochineal,  which, 
bred  to  Princess  Royal's  great  son  Roan  Gaunt- 
let (35284),  produced  the  massive  Cayhurst 
(47560),  used  by  Mr.  Duthie,  sold  to  Mr.  Jamie- 
son,  and  eventually  passing  to  Mr.  Sutton-Nel- 
thorpe  of  Lincolnshire. 

Princess  Royal  is  said  to  have  been  a  grand, 
big  roan,  but  not  so  great  a  dairy  cow  as  her 
sister  Carmine  Rose.  As  a  breeder  her  influ- 
ence in  the  herd  was  felt  for  generations.  She 
became  the  dam  of  the  four  fine  cows  Custard, 
Claret,  Crocus  and  Chrysanthemum,  besides 
giving  birth  to  the  renowned  Roan  Gauntlet, 
one  of  the  most  famous  of  all  Sittyton  sires. 
Custard  was  a  heifer  of  rare  beauty  from  the 
beginning,  neat,  but  not  large,  and  produced 
the  two  bulls  Cumberland  (46144)  and  Commo- 
dore (54118).  She  was  specially  strong  in  her 
hind  quarters,  a  characteristic  that  was  inher- 
ited by  Cumberland,  a  bull  that  was  extensively 
used  by  Mr.  Cruickshank  in  his  later  years. 
Commodore  grew  into  a  bull  that  was  the  ad- 
miration of  his  time,  but  unfortunately  after 
having  been  used  for  a  short  period  with  great 
success  died  at  sea  en  route  for  South  America. 

Claret  carried  the  size  and  substance  of  her 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK    OF    SITTYTON.  599 

mother,  but  produced  only  two  calves,  one  of 
which  was  the  fine  sire  Clear-the-Way  (47604), 
used  at  Cairnbrogie  and  by  Bruce  of  Inverqu- 
homery.  The  table-backed  white  Chrysanthe- 
mum, that  became  the  property  of  Mr.  William 
Duthie  of  Collynie  on  the  final  sale  of  the  herd, 
was  the  dam  of  the  massive  bull  Chamberlain 
(60461),  that  passed  into  the  possession  of  Mr. 
Philo  L.  Mills  of  Ruddington  Hall.  All  in  all  it 
is  doubtful  if  Sittyton  ever  produced  a  greater 
breeding  cow  than  Princess  Royal!  From  this 
same  Clipper  foundation  came  Mr.  Duthie's 
prize  bull  Pride  of  Morning  (64546). 

The  Victorias.— The  first  of  this  Mason-bred 
tribe  to  enter  the  Cruickshank  herd  was  Victo- 
ria 19th,  by  Lord  John  (11731),  that  was  bid  off 
by  Anthony  Cruickshank  at  the  sale  of  Mr. 
Holmes  of  Westmeath,  Ireland.  Although  full 
of  the  best  English  blood  she  lacked  the  sub-' 
stance  which  Mr.  Amos  Cruickshank  had  inva- 
riably insisted  upon.  On  her  arrival  in  Scot- 
land she  was  sent  to  Mr.  Hay's  at  Shethin  to  be 
bulled  by  the  Booth-bred  Red  Knight  (11976), 
and  to  this  service  produced  the  twin  heifers 
Victoria  29th  and  30th.  It  is  said  that  the  for- 
mer "had  weak  loins  and  was  not  good;  the 
latter  much  better,  but  left  no  female  stock." 
The  dam  was  called  delicate  and  the  sort 
showed  no  special  merit  at  Sittyton  until 
crossed  with  Champion  of  England.  That 


600        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

great  sire  seemed  to  bring  them  out.  Victo- 
ria 39th,  by  that  bull,  was  a  good  one  and  bred 
on  to  old  age.  Her  heifer  Victoria  41st,  by 
Lord  Privy  Seal,  was  of  the  right  stamp  and  a 
good  breeder,  producing  the  thick  Victoria  57th 
and  the  good  stock  bull  Ventriloquist  (44180). 
The  family  improved  with  age  under  Mr. 
Cruickshank's  skillful  crossing,  and  Victoria 
48th,  by  Lord  Lancaster,  a  cow  of  marked 
merit,  produced  Royal  Victor  (43792),  that  be- 
came the  sire  of  Gravesend  (46461).  Of  this 
tribe  also  was  the  bull  Vermont  (47193),  that 
did  good  service  in  the  herd  of  Mr.  Campbell 
of  Kinellar,  and  Deane  Willis'  500-guinea  prize 
bull  Count  Victor  (66877).* 

The  Sittyton  Victorias  imported  to  America 
have  proved  among  the  most  valuable  Scotch- 
bred  Short-horns  that  ever  crossed  the  Atlan- 
tic. The  first  to  come  out  was  the  roan  Victo- 
ria 51st,  by  Royal  Duke  of  Gloster  (29864),  im- 
ported by  Mr.  Davis  Lowman  of  Toulon,  111.,  in 


*  Although  the  Victorias  had  a  pedigree  running  back  to  "  the  beautiful 
Lady  Maynard  "  of  Charles  Ceiling's  herd  the  original  females  of  this  fam- 
ily at  Sittyton  were  not  well  liked  by  Amos  Cruickshank.  The  old  Scot's 
Boswell,  Mr.  Jamieson,  says:  "I  remember  passing  through  the  byres  at 
Sittyton  one  (Jay  many  years  ago  when  we  came  upon  a  roan  cow.  '  This,' 
said  Mr.  Cruickshank,  'is  a  Victoria;  my  brother  thinks  a  great  deal  of 
them.'  With  characteristic  reticence  he  said  nothing  as  to  his  own  opinion, 
but  I  gathered  from  the  tone  that  it  was  not  quite  so  favorable.  It  was  not 
until  their  constitution  had  been  renovated  by  one  or  two  crosses  of  Cham- 
pion of  England  blood  that  any  bulls  of  the  tribe  were  kept  for  service  in 
the  herd."  Latterly,  however,  the  original  defects  were  quite  bred  out  and 
the  substance,  flesh  and  feeding  quality  for  which  Sittyton  finally  became 
so  famous  was  impressed  upon  the  Victorias  in  common  with  the  other 
leading  Cruickshank  tribes 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   8ITTYTON.  601 

1876.  From  this  cow  some  of  the  very  best 
Cruickshank  cattle  ever  seen  in  Western  show- 
yards  and  breeding  herds  have  descended. 
Probably  the  greatest  success,  however,  ever 
scored  by  the  tribe  in  North  America  was 
through  the  extraordinary  record  of  imp. 
Baron  Victor  (45944),  a  son  of  Victoria  58th, 
as  a  bull-getter  in  the  fine  herd  of  Col.  W. 
A.  Harris,  Linwood,  Kan. 

The  Lancasters. — Three  capital  cows  were 
bought  at  the  sale  from  the  fine  old  herd  of 
Wilkinson  of  Lenton  in  1854 — Lancaster  16th, 
Pomp  and  Roman  9th.  Lancaster  16th  pro- 
duced the  good  bull  Lord  Bathurst  (13173), 
that  was  sold  from  the  herd  before  his  value 
was  realized.  She  was  one  of  the  first-prize 
pair  of  cows  at  the  Royal  Northern  of  1856  and 
for  one  of  her  descendants,  the  handsome  Lan- 
caster 25th,  Mr.  Barclay  of  Keavil  gave  150 
guineas.  "She  proved  in  calf  at  the  time  to 
Mr.  Cruickshank's  Lord  Raglan  (13244),  and  in 
April,  1862,  gave  birth  to  three  heifer  calves, 
two  of  which,  Anne  and  Mary  of  Lancaster, 
won  prizes  at  Kelso  as  yearlings.  The  latter 
subsequently  became  the  dam  of  imp.  Baron 
Booth  of  Lancaster  7535,  whose  remarkable  in- 
fluence in  America  in  the  herd  of  Hon.  J..H. 
Pickrell  has  already  been  commented  upon  in 
these  pages.  Mr.  Cruickshank  had  one  weak- 
ness. He  would  occasionally  put  his  best  cat- 


602        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

tie  in  price  to  wealthy  patrons.  Tempting 
offers  induced  him  to  part  with  the  best  of 
these  three  Wilkinson  cows — Roman  9th.  The 
Lancasters  also  got  away  from  him,  so  that 
after  a  few  years  he  had  nothing  left  from  his 
judicious  Lenton  purchase. 

The  Brawith  Buds. — This  celebrated  Cruick- 
shank  family  comes  from  the  cow  Pure  Gold, 
descended  from  the  famous  Brawith  Bud  al- 
ready mentioned  in  connection  with  the  opera- 
tions of  Mr.  Grant  Duff  of  Eden.  Pure  Gold 
cost  Messrs.  Cruickshank  90  guineas  at  five 
years  old  at  the  Eden  sale  of  1854.  Old  Bra- 
with Bud  had  cost  160  guineas  in  1841  and  pro- 
duced calves  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  dur- 
ing all  that  period  maintaining  perfect  health.. 
Amos  Cruickshank  considered  her  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  cows  he  had  ever  seen.  Pure 
Gold  was  often  exhibited,  and  carried  home  to 
Sittyton  many  first  prizes  from  Aberdeen.  Like 
her  maternal  ancestress  she  lived  to  a  good  old 
age,  in  fact  was  the  senior  matron  of  the  herd 
for  many  years. 

Pure  Gold's  daughter  Golden  Days,  a  great 
milker  and  grand  breeder,  sustained  the  repu- 
tation of  her  family  for  longevity.  She  gave 
to  the  herd  the  three  fine  bulls  Golden  Rule,  by 
Champion  of  England;  the  prize  bull  Pride  of 
the  Isles,  by  Scotland's  Pride,  and  Lord  of  the 
Isles,  by  same  sire.  Pride  of  the  Isles  was  chief 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK  OF   SITTYTON.  603 

stock  bull  at  Sittyton  for  a  number  of  years, 
leaving  a  most  valuable  progeny,  including 
such  bulls  as  Cumberland  (46144),  Athabasca 
(47359)  and  Shapinshay  (45581).  Lord  of  the 
Isles  was  sold  to  Bruce  of  Inverquhomery,  but 
was  afterward  bought  back  because  of  the 
great  service  rendered  by  his  brother.  One 
daughter  of  Golden  Days,  named  Golden  Morn, 
was  bought  by  Mr.  Jamieson  of  Ellon  and  in 
his  hands  developed  into  an  excellent  breeder. 
She  was  quite  a  dairy  cow.  Another  heifer 
from  Golden  Days  retained  by  Mr.  Cruickshank 
was  Golden  Year.  True  to  the  traditions  of 
her  tribe  she  rounded  out  a  long  life  of  useful- 
ness in  the  herd.  Among  the  most  famous  of 
the  Brawith  Bud  cows  maybe  mentioned  Gilli- 
ver,  Garnish,  Godiva  and  Glowworm;  the  line 
that  gave  rise  to  Roan  Robin  (57992),  Gondo- 
mar  (55821),  Gondolier  (52950),  Wanderer  (60138) 
and  other  noted  sires. 

It  is  stated  that  the  original  Brawith  Bud 
cows  at  Sittyton,  while  presenting  a  satisfac- 
tory broadside  view,  were  somewhat  lacking 
in  spread  of  rib,  which  characteristic  was  not 
wholly  corrected  until  the  days  of  Champion  of 
England.  That  they  possessed  remarkable  con- 
stitutions, however,  is  clearly  apparent.  They 
were  developed  into  great  flesh-carriers  as  well 
as  good  milkers  and  did  much  toward  estab- 
lishing the  name  and  fame  of  Sittyton, 


604        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Duchesses  of  Gloster. — This  sort,  like  the 
Victorian,  owed  its  excellence  at  Sittyton  to 
the  skill  and  judgment  of  Amos  Cruickshank. 
Although,  like  the  Victorias,  they  were  de- 
scended originally  from  a  very  celebrated  Eng- 
lish cow;  yet  the  female  that  brought  the 
blood  of  Magdalena,  by  Comet — the  only  cow 
that  Charles  Colling  reserved  at  the  time  of 
the  Ketton  dispersion — to  the  Cruickshank 
herd  was  not  herself  an  animal  of  special  su- 
periority. The  blood  was  acquired  by  purchase 
of  a  cow  called  Chance,  by  Duke  of  Gloster 
(11382),  bred  by  Earl  Ducie  and  bought  in  1855 
from  a  Mr.  Robinson  of  Burton-on-Trent,  who 
had  obtained  her  from  Tortworth.  She  is  said 
to  have  been  somewhat  wanting  in  constitu- 
tion and  her  first  heifers  produced  only  two 
or  three  calves  each.  Her  descendants  were 
named  Duchesses  of  Gloster,  and  the  first  good 
one  of  the  line  is  said  to  have  been  the  7th 
Duchess,  sired  by  Lord  Raglan.  She  had  five 
calves  by  Champion  of  England  that  measured 
well  up  to  Mr.  Cruickshank's  standard.  In 
fact,  the  Lord  Raglan  Duchesses  of  Glosters 
seemed  to  "nick"  particularly  well  with  the 
Champion.  It  was  this  blending  of  blood  that 
produced  the  very  handsome  and  thoroughly 
satisfactory  breeding  bull  Grand  Duke  of  Glos- 
ter (26288).  This  bull  perhaps  resembled 
Champion  of  England  more  than  any  other  of 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK    OP    SITTYTON.  605 

his  sons ;  unfortunately,  however,  he  broke  a 
leg  as  the  result  of  an  accident  at  two  years 
old,  leaving  but  few  calves,  all  of  which  were 
of  pronounced  merit.  Among  them  was  Royal 
Duke  of  Gloster  (29864),  that  was  not  only  a 
bull  of  superb  individual  merit,  but  proved  one 
of  the  most  valuable  sires  ever  used  in  the 
herd.  Mr.  Cruickshank  always  considered  that 
his  loss  of  Grand  Duke  of  Gloster  was  almost 
irreparable. 

The  Duchess  of  Gloster  sort  was  not  largely 
represented  in  the  herd  toward  the  last,  but  at 
different  times  has  thrown  some  of  the  most 
perfect  specimens  of  the  real  Cruickshank 
type. 

The  Secrets.  —  Another  one  of  Anthony 
Cruickshank's  purchases  was  the  cow  Sympa- 
thy, bought  at  Mr.  Tanqueray's  sale  at  Hendon, 
along  with  the  bull  The  Baron  (13833),  in  1855. 
She  represented  the  Bates  line  of  breeding  and 
was  got  by  the  Duchess  bull  Duke  of  Athol 
(10150).  She  was  in  calf  to  The  Baron  at  the 
time  of  purchase  and  produced  to  that  service 
the  heifer  Sunrise.  Sympathy  afterward  pro- 
duced two  heifers,  Splendor  and  Splendid,  by 
Lord  Sackville  (13249).  While  Sympathy  and 
Sunrise  were  rather  deficient  in  substance  the 
Lord  Sackville  heifers  were  full  of  it.  Mr. 
Cruickshank  retained  at  Sittyton  only  the  de- 
scendants of  this  robust  pair.  The  sort  proved 


606        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

prolific  and  constituted  quite  a  feature  of  the 
herd  up  to  the  very  last.  Probably  one  of  the 
best  of  the  Secret  cows  was  Surname,  dam  of 
the  successful  Collynie  stock  bull  Scottish 
Archer  (59883).  None  of  the  Secret  bulls  were 
used  at  Sittyton. 

The  Cicely  sort. — In  1860  there  was  bought 
from  Mr.  Morrison  of  Bognie  an  evenly-built, 
low-legged,  level-fleshed  red  cow,  with  white 
marks,  called  Crocus,  sired  by  Jemmy  (11611). 
She  was  bred  to  Lancaster  Royal  (18167),  of  the 
Wilkinson  Lancaster  sort,  and  produced  the 
heifer  Cicely,  that  became  the  ancestress  of 
some  of  the  grandest  cows  Mr.  Cruickshank 
ever  bred,  including  Courtesy  by  Scotland's 
Pride;  Campion  by  Roan  Gauntlet,  Circassia  by 
Champion  of  England,  Cornucopia  by  Grand 
Vizier  and  Corolla  by  Feudal  Chief.  Those 
who  were  familiar  with  the  herd  in  its  prime 
have  always  asserted  that  Courtesy  and  Cam- 
pion were  among  the  greatest  cows  ever  pro- 
duced upon  the  farm,  possessing  splendid  sub- 
stance and  great  scale.  Mr.  Deane  Willis'  fine 
show  heifer  Cactus  is  of  Cicely  descent. 

The  Cicelys  trace  on  the  dam's  side  to  the 
cow  Premium,  by  George  (2057),  that  was 
bought  by  Mr.  Cruickshank  from  Grant  Duff 
in  1841 ;  so  that  they  are  of  kindred  origin 
with  the  Matchless  sort  already  mentioned. 

Avalanche. — Contemporary  with  Crocus  was 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTTTON.  607 

the  cow  Avalanche,  bought  as  a  yearling  at  the 
sale  of  Mr.  Budding  of  Panton  in  1860.  She 
was  a  roan,  sired  by  the  closely-bred  Booth 
bull  Sir  Samuel,  and,  although  not  particularly 
strong  as  an  individual,  she  left  a  heifer  in  the 
herd,  Anemone,  by  the  prize  bull  Forth  (17866), 
that  was  fruitful  of  good  results.  Bred  to  the 
Champion  of  England  bull  Csesar  Augustus 
(25704),  Anemone  produced  Azalea,  the  mother 
of  the  great  Field  Marshal  (47870)— undoubt- 
edly the  grandest  of  all  the  latter-day  Cruick- 
shank  bulls.  She  was  also  the  dam  of  the  good 
sire  Athabasca  (47359),  used  with  success  by 
Mr.  Marr  at  Uppermill.  Alma,  a  granddaugh- 
ter of  Anemone,  was  one  of  the  best  cows  pro- 
duced by  the  Avalanche  tribe ;  acquiring  con- 
siderable renown  in  the  herd  of  Mr.  Mitchell. 
No  bulls  of  this  tribe  were  tried  by  Mr.  Cruick- 
shank. 

Violette. — A  rather  plain-looking  cow  of 
this  name,  that  produced  valuable  stock  when 
crossed  with  Cruickshank  bulls,  was  bought  in 
1860  at  the  sale  of  her  breeder,  Mr.  Morrison 
of  Montcoffer.  Mated  with  Champion  of  Eng- 
land she  gave  birth  to  three  capital  daughters, 
known  as  Violante,  Finella  and  Victorine.  To 
Grand  Monarque  she  produced  Vellum.  Vio- 
lante was  a  noble  cow  and  bred  until  fifteen 
years  of  age.  Vellum  produced  the  bull  Privy 
Seal  (50268),  that  proved  useful  in  the  herd  of 


608        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Bruce  of  Inverquhomery.  These  daughters  of 
Violette  were  among  the  best  cows  of  their 
time  at  Sittyton. 

The  Lovelys. — As  already  stated  in  our  ref- 
erences to  Mr.  Hay  of  Shethin  this  Sittyton 
sort  was  derived  from  the  two  good  cows 
Lovely  6th  and  Lovely  8th,  bought  at  the 
Shethin  sale  of  1863.  The  family  came  orig- 
inally from  the  beautiful  cow  Marion,  by  An- 
thony (1640),  that  had  been  bought  in  England 
from  Mr.  Lovell  of  Edgcott.  Bred  to  Grand 
Monarque  (21867)  Lovely  8th  gave  the  Messrs. 
Cruickshank  one  of  the  bulls  that  made  their 
reputation — Scotland's  Pride  (25100).  She  also 
left  the  handsome  cow  Lovely  9th,  which, 
bred  to  Champion  of.  England,  produced  Lord 
Lancaster  (26666),  also  used  in  the  herd.  The 
Lovelys  were  prime  favorites  with  Mr.  Cruick- 
shank, and  he  also  put  in  service  the  bull  Lord 
Lansdowne  (29128),  a  grandson  of  Lovely  6th. 

Barmpton  Roses. — The  Sittyton  branch  of 
this  renowned  English  show-yard  tribe  de- 
scended from  Butterfly's  Pride  obtained  from 
Col.  Towneley  in  1864.  She  was  sired  by  the 
champion  show  bull  Royal  Butterfly  (16862), 
and  at  the  time  of  her  purchase  was  in  calf  to 
the  Bates  Duchess  bull  2d  Duke  of  Wharfdale 
(19649).  The  produce  was  a  heifer,  Butterfly's 
Joy,  that  was  scarcely  up  to  the  family  stand- 
ard. The  astonishing  success  of  Towneley's 


AMOS   CRTJICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  609 

great  herd  manager,  Joseph  Culshaw,  with  the 
Barmpton  Roses  in  the  great  show-yards  of 
England,  Scotland  and  Ireland,  as  well  as  at 
the  Paris  Exposition  of  1856,  seemed  to  have 
been  due  largely  to  the  successful  "nick"  of 
Booth  blood,  and  that  of  the  bull  Frederick 
(11489),  with  the  Barmpton  Rose  base.*  At 
any  rate  the  Bates  cross,  as  represented  by 
Butterfly's  Joy  at  Sittyton,  did  not  seem  to 
produce  equal  results ;  but  a  dash  of  the  blood 


*The  author  regrets  that  Towneley  has  not  that  close  identification 
with  American  Short-horn  breeding  operations  which  has  made  it  neces- 
sary to  discuss  at  such  length  various  other  British  herds.  Those  who 
write  specially  for  English  readers  certainly  have  in  Culshaw  a  character 
unique  in  Short-horn  history,  and  in  his  beauteous  Butterflys  and  regal 
Roan  Duchesses  an  inspiration  that  should  tempt  the  dullest  pen  to  flights 
rhetorical.  While  the  subject  is  of  only  collateral  interest  to  America  the 
Short-horn  breeding  world  claims  the  name  and  fame  of  Towneley  as  a 
part  of  the  common  heritage.  A  few  of  the  main  facts  relating  to  the  herd 
may  therefore  be  here  recorded. 

The  West  of  England,  like  the  North  of  Scotland,  developed  some  great 
herdsmen.  There  is  nothing  like  having  to  overcome  obstacles  to  build  up 
mental  power.  The  County  of  Lancaster  is  noted  for  its  manufacturing 
rather  than  for  its  agricultural  interests.  It  has  within  its  borders  those 
great  emporiums  of  trade  the  cities  of  Liverpool  and  Manchester.  Col. 
Towneley 's  home  farm  adjoined  Burnley,  one  of  the  smaller,  but  none  the 
less  busy,  Lancastrian  centers  of  industry.  The  soil  was  cold  and  sour. 
Grain  rarely  ripened  and  roots  gave  up  in  disgust.  The  land  was  imper- 
vious to  drainage  on  account  of  its  stiff  clay  subsoil;  moreover  it  was  en- 
croached upon  by  the  Burnley  factories  and  shops,  and  the  smoke  and 
gases  from  the  furnaces  destroyed  much  of  the  vegetation.  Science  could 
avail  little  against  such  conditions  so  far  as  farming  operations  were  con- 
cerned. Nevertheless  a  Short-horn  herd,  probably  the  peer  of  any  that  has 
ever  existed  elsewhere,  was  here  developed.  Not  many  leagues  to  the 
north  was  Holker  Hall,  where  the  Duke  of  Devonshire  also  scored  a  bril- 
liant success.  It  is  worthy  of  note,  however,  that  Culshaw  came  before 
the  birth  of  the  Butterflys  and  that  Drewry  preceded  the  Grand  Duchesses 
of  Oxford. 

It  was  in  1848  that  Col.  Towneley  got  through  that  rare  judge  Mr.  East- 
wood of  Whitewell,  in  the  Valley  of  the  Hodder,  the  twenty  head  of  cattle 
that  brought  him  fame  imperishable.  At  the  sale  of  Henry  Watson  East- 
wood had  bought  the  fine  cow  Buttercup,  "  a  sort  of  yellow-red,  and  like 
Hubback  in  her  flecks,"  a  daughter  of  the  celebrated  Barmpton  Rose.  The 


610        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

of  the  great  North-country  show  bull  Forth, 
through  his  son  Allan  (21172),  seemed  to  bring 
back  much  of  the  beauty  of  the  sort  as  dis- 
played at  Towneley.  Bred  to  the  bull  last 

latter  was  bred  by  Mr.  Waldy  of  Barmpton,  near  Darlington.  She  was  full 
of  Robert  Colllng's  old  Red  Rose  blood,  and  was  a  heavy-bodied,  broad- 
ribbed,  deep-milking  strawberry  roan. 

"  He  whom  the  gods  call  Culshaw, 

And  men  on  earth  call '  Joe,'  " 

was  under  "  Tom  "  Mason  at  Sir  Charles  Tempest's  when  Barmpton  Rose 
was  brought  from  the  Walkeringham  sale  to  Broughton  Hall,  and  her 
buxom  beauty  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the  "future  great"  trainer 
and  breeder.  When  a  mere  lad  Culshaw  betrayed  an  irrepressible  enthu- 
siasm for  the  "red.  white  and  roans."  Upon  one  occasion  he  was  sent 
with  a  cow  that  was  to  be  bred  to  a  bull  at  Whitaker's,  and  the  brightness 
of  the  boy  and  his  interest  in  the  cattle  so  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
proprietor  that  he  personally  showed  the  youthful  ambassador  through 
the  Greenholme  Herd  in  detail.  That  was  indeed  a  great  day  for  "  little 
Joe."  Would  that  all  of  those  who  have  such  opportunities  would  evince 
the  same  disposition  to  encourage  young  men  who  manifest  a  love  for  good 
cattle! 

Col.  Towneley  was  a  man  of  great  wealth  and  many  acres  and  engaged 
Eastwood  as  his  general  manager.  The  latter  was  fond  of  Kilierby  and  its 
Short-horns,  and  after  buying  Buttercup  hired  from  John  Booth  the  bull 
Jeweler  (10354),  son  of  Necklace,  "  a  short  bull  with  a  bad  head  and  a  light 
neck,  but  with  capital  sides  and  quality."  Buttercup,  served  by  this  bull 
and  weak  from  an  attack  of  "  foot-and-mouth,"  and  her  half-sister  Bessie, 
another  daughter  of  Barmpton  Rose,  in  calf  to  Lax's  Duke  (9032),  were  in- 
cluded in  the  lot  that  went  to  Towneley  in  1848.  The  former  dropped  But- 
terfly and  the  latter  the  great  stock  bull  Frederick  (11489)— the  pair  from 
whence  came  those  show-yard  monarchs  Master  Butterfly  (13311)  and  Royal 
Butterfly  (16862). 

After  having  served  a  long  apprenticeship  under  Mason  at  Sir  Charles 
Tempest's  Culshaw  was  hired  by  Col.  Towneley  in  1849.  He  had  been  with 
Mr.  Ambler,  the  breeder  of  the  celebrated  Grand  Turk  (12969),  for  the  pre- 
vious eighteen  months,  and  while  there  had  taken  Senator  to  the  Royal 
and  defeated  Mr.  Bates'  2d  and  3d  Dukes  of  Oxford.  Jeweler  went  with  the 
Eastwood  cows  to  Towneley,  and  soon  afterward  the  Booth-bred  Lord 
George  (10439)— son  of  Birthday  and  sire  of  2d  Duke  of  Athol  in  the  Airdrie 
Duchess  pedigree — followed. 

The  opportunity  that  Culshaw  had  so  long  desired  was  now  presented. 
He  had  under  his  control  at  Towneley  a  rare  good  lot  of  cows  selected  by 
Mr.  Eastwood  and  Mr.  Straff  ord.  He  was  keen  to  try  conclusions  with  the 
best  breeders  and  fitters  of  the  realm  at  a  time  when  show-yard  enthusiasm 
had  been  fanned  into  a  fierce  flame  largely  through  the  triumphs  of  the 
Booths.  With  the  active  sympathy  and  support  of  his  employers  Culshaw 
charged  the  entire  line  of  opposition  with  one  of  the  most  admirably 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  611 

named  Butterfly's  Joy  produced  the  good  cow 
Barmpton  Flower,  which,  mated  with  Royal 
Duke  of  Gloster,  gave  Mr.  Cruickshank  the  ex- 
cellent stock  bull  Barmpton  (37763),  famous 
throughout  America  as  the  sire  of  imp.  Baron 

brought  out  collections  of  Short-horns  the  world  has  ever  seen.  Butterfly 
herself  opened  the  ball,  and  with  her  rich  loins,  beautiful  bosom  and  won- 
derful quality  walked  through  the  show-rings  of  her  time  almost  without 
defeat.  She  had  six  living  calves,  and  after  her  frame  was  bent  with  age 
produced  Royal  Butterfly  that  was  seen  as  late  as  in  his  thirteenth  year  at 
the  National  Show  at  Manchester.  He  was  a  noble,  thick-fleshed  roan  with 
wonderful  thighs.  It  was  in  1853  that  Butterfly  gave  birth  to  the  world- 
famous  roan  Master  Butterfly.  After  winning  firsts  and  championships 
over  all  Britain,  and  heading  the  great  Gold  Medal  herd  shown  at  the  Paris 
Exposition  of  1856,  he  was  sold  at  the  then  extraordinary  price  of  1,200 
guineas  for  export  to  Australia.  Beauty's  Butterfly  was  one  of  the  most 
noted  of  the  winners  and  after  gaining  Royal  honors,  won  at  the  London 
Sm..thfield  Pat-Stock  Show,  and  returned  to  fresh  triumphs  in  the  breeding 
rings  the  following  year,  earning  for  Culshaw  a  characteristic  recognition 
from  Punch  in  verse  under  the  heading  "Joe's  Lament."  Space  will  not  ad- 
mit of  our  recording  here  even  the  names,  much  less  the  winnings,  of  the 
Towneley  cattle.  From  the  years  1850  to  1864  they  were  constantly  seen  at 
the  leading  exhibitions  of  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland,  winning  upward 
of  $10,000  in  cash  besides  twenty-two  challenge  cups.  Culshaw  was  not 
only  the  prince  of  all  "trainers"  of  his  time,  but  had  most  extraordinary 
success  in  holding  his  show  cows  to  their  work  as  breeders.  Richard 
Gibson,  who  knew  him  well,  submits  the  following  tribute:  "Mr.  Culshaw 
was  one  whose  name  will  be  identified  with  Short-horns  long  after  many 
of  his  contemporaries  are  forgotten.  Of  a  quiet,  unobtrusive  temperament' 
still  he  had  a  forceful  manner;  his  word  was  trusted,  but  in  his  strong 
provincial  dialect  he  had  more  power  with  which  to  express  himself  than 
had  he  been  loaded  to  the  muzzle  with  Latin  and  Greek.  Of  him  it  is  said 
that  his  equal  had  never  been  who  could  keep  on  showing  successfully  and 
have  his  show  cattle  breed  regularly  and  keep  on  producing  winners.  He 
graduated  from  a  good  school,  his  father  being  employed  at  Sir  C.  Temp- 
est's, and  under  Tom  Mason  he  and  his  half-brother,  George  Moore  (still 
at  Holker),  made  for  themselves  reputations  that  will  be  ever  green. 
Moreover,  from  the  same  school  was  sent  forth  James  Knowles,  whose 
name  was  so  intimately  connected  with  the  herds  of  Lord  Ducie  and  of 
Col.  Gunter." 

A  second  herd  was  begun  by  Col.  Towneley  shortly  after  the  dispersion 
of  the  original  stock  in  1864.  Some  of  the  Butterfly  cows  were  bought  back, 
but  Bates  blood  predominated.  Royal  Butterfly  had  been  reserved  at  the 
closing-out  sale  at  an  upset  price  of  1,200  guineas.  The  Bates-bred  Baron 
Oxford,  however,  was  the  principal  sire  used  in  the  second  herd.  Some 
Oxford  females  were  also  added.  The  show-yards  were  again  invaded  and 
daughters  of  Baron  Oxford  were  winners  at  the  Manchester,  Oxford  and 


612        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Victor,  the  bull  that  fairly  made  the  herd  of 
Col.  W.  A.  Harris  of  Linwood.  An  own  sister 
to  Barmpton  Flower,  known  as  Butterfly's 
Delight,  produced  the  bull  Barmpton  Prince 
(32995),  by  Viceroy,  that  was  chosen  for  ser- 
vice in  the  herd.  He  had  to  be  sent  to  the 
butcher,  however,  at  an  early  age  as  the  result 
of  a  broken  leg,  and  left  but  few  calves,  all  of 
excellent  character.  Mr.  Cruickshank  earn- 
estly desired  to  introduce  the  Barmpton  Rose 
blood  into  the  herd,  and  used  another  bull  from 
Butterfly's  Joy,  known  as  Ben  Wyvis  (30528). 

The  Spicys. — There  was  bought  from  Mr, 
Milne  of  Kinaldie,  Aberdeenshire,  in  1868,  a 
cow  known  as  Spicy  4th.  She  was  a  daughter 

Cardiff  Royals  from  1869  to  1872.  The  second  herd  was  closed  out  in  1873  at 
high  prices,  as  noted  in  a  previous  chapter. 

Col.  Towneley  received  some  great  prices  for  his  pets  at  private  treaty. 
Douglas  of  Athelstaneford  gave  500  guineas  for  Ringlet,  that  became  the 
dam  of  his  500-guinea  Queen  of  Athelstane.  For  Frederica  and  Lalla  Rookh 
Mr.  Thorne  paid  700  guineas.  The  former  had  been  the  first-prize  yearling 
at  the  Lewes  Royal,  but  was  accidentally  killed  at  sea.  The  great  Towne- 
ley sale  of  fifty-six  head,  of  which  twenty-eight  were  Barmpton  Roses, 
proved  one  of  the  most  memorable  in  English  Short-horn  history.  A  com- 
pany of  not  less  than  3,000  persons  assembled  and  competition  for  the  best 
lots  was  active  between  the  best  breeders  of  the  Kingdom.  Royal  Butter- 
fly's Duchess  fetched  £500  and  the  bull  Royal  Butterfly  llth  £400  from  the 
agent  of  Sir  William  Sterling  Maxwell  for  his  Scottish  herd  at  Keir  to  take 
the  place  of  Forth  that  had  been  sold  to  Messrs.  Cruickshank.  The  general 
average  of  the  sale  was  £128. 

The  Towneley  Butterflys  were  specially  distinguished  for  their  fine 
style,  finish,  quality  and  long,  level  quarters.  While  somewhat  on  the  up- 
standing order,  they  were  of  a  substantial  mold,  possessing  gay  carriage 
and  stepped  like  "hunters." 

All  hands  at  Towneley  were  fond  of  a  good  horse.  Kettledrum,  a  Derby 
winner,  and  the  "king  bull"  of  his  day,  Royal  Butterfly,  were  in  the  Towne- 
ley stables  at  the  same  date.  Eastwood  and  Culshaw  owned  Butterfly, 
winner  of  The  Oaks  and  other  races,  adding  to  the  herdsman's  bank  ac- 
count not  less  than  $10,000.  "Joe"  had  named  the  filly  "after  'tauld  coo." 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  613 

of  a  cow  that  had  been  brought  from  the  herd 
of  Mr.  Harvey  Combe  of  Cobham  Park,  Surrey, 
Eng.,  who  had  obtained  the  family  originally 
from  the  Earl  of  Carlisle.  Spicy,  by  Marma- 
duke  (14897),  the  cow  taken  from  Surrey  to 
Aberdeen  by  Mr.  Milne,  had  the  reputation  of 
being  an  extra  good  one.  At  Sittyton  her 
daughter  Spicy  4th,  bred  to  Champion  of 
England,  gave  birth  to  the  fine  cow  Silvery, 
the  ancestress  of  an  excellent,  although  not 
numerous,  family.  To  this  source  the  bulls 
Strongbow  (52230)  and  Sea  King  (61769)  traced 
their  maternal  origin.  Strongbow  was  used 
two  seasons  by  Mr.  Cruickshank,  and  one  of 
his  get — the  bull  Norseman  (56233) — entered 
the  herd  of  Her  Majesty  Queen  Victoria  at 
Windsor.  Of  this  same  sort  also  was  the  roan 
Spicy  Robin  (69638),  the  pick  of  the  Deane 
Willis  bulls  of  1895  and  sold  at  twelve  months 
old  for  250  guineas. 

The  Lavenders. —  Mr.  Cruickshank  always 
regretted  having  parted  with  the  Wilkinson 
cows  previously  mentioned  in  our  references 
to  the  Lancaster  family,  and  he  made  repeated 
efforts  to  recover  some  of  the  original  Lenton 
blood,  for  which  he  had  the  highest  respect. 
Some  difficulty  was  met  with,  however,  in 
again  acquiring  satisfactory  representatives  of 
that  notfed  Nottingham  herd.  A  few  of  the 
Hebes  were  finally  obtained  from  Messrs.  Dud- 


614        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ding  of  Pan  ton,  but  they  proved  unsatisfactory 
and  were  soon  disposed  of.  From  a  Mr.  Harris 
of  Worcestershire  a  Lenton  Lady  and  a  Lancas- 
ter were  then  obtained,  but  they  also  proved 
disappointing.  It  was  not  until  1870  that  the 
original  Lenton  threads  were  gathered  up  suc- 
cessfully. In  that  year  some  Lavenders  were 
obtained  from  Mr.  Butler  of  Badminton,  who 
had  purchased  the  matron  of  the  family  in  his 
hands  from  a  Mr.  Logan  of  Newport,  Ireland, 
who  had  got  the  blood  direct  from  Wilkinson. 
Mr.  Cruickshank  bought  these  Butler  cows 
solely  on  account  of  their  Lenton  origin,  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  the  intervening  crosses 
had  materially  modified  the  original  type.  At 
first  they  did  not  promise  the  desired  results, 
but  after  being  subjected  to  several  infusions 
of  Sittyton  blood  they  began  to  justify  his 
faith.  It  is  stated  that  Lavender  16th,  by  Lord 
Lansdowne,  and  Lavender  17th,  by  Royal  Duke 
of  Gloster,  and  their  descendants  were  much 
the  best  of  the  tribe.  Lavender  17th  was  con- 
sidered the  best  heifer  of  her  year  in  the 
herd  and  matured  into  one  of  the  great  cows 
of  her  time.  Lavender  16th  possessed  great 
scale  and  produced  many  calves,  among  others 
the  bull  Feudal  Chief  (51251),  used  in  the  herd 
at  the  very  close  of  its  career.  Some  of  the 
best  Cruickshank  females  we  have  had  in 
America  were  of  this  Lavender  family,  and  it 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  615 

has  to  its  credit  in  recent  years  in  England  the 
production  of  Mr.  Deane  Willis7  Royal  prize- 
winning  bull  Count  Lavender  (60545). 

First  Sittyton  bulls.— The  first  Sittyton  sires 
came  from  Barclay  of  Ury.  While  the  founda- 
tions were  being  laid  cows  and  heifers  were  in 
many  cases  sent  to  be  bred  to  bulls  on  neigh- 
boring farms.  Notably  that  of  James  Walker 
of  Wester  Fintray,  afterward  wTell  known  in 
the  Aberdeen-Angus  trade.  Walker  liked  a 
good  Short-horn,  and  among  the  Wester  Fin- 
tray  bulls  patronized  by  Mr.  Cruickshank  were 
General  Picton  (3876)  and  Sovereign  (7539). 
The  first  Barclay  bull  purchased  was  the  white 
Inkhorn  (6091),  whose  name  was  derived  from 
the  farm  from  whence  he  came.  Barclay,  like 
Robertson  and  Rennie  in  the  South,  had  been 
somewhat  indifferent  in  reference  to  herd  book 
registration.  Inkhorn  traced  on  his  dam's  side 
to  the  best  English  foundations,  as  set  forth  in 
the  herd  book,  but  his  sire  is  not  given.  The 
bull  calves  Chancellor  (5850)  and  Premier 
(6308),  both  bred  by  Capt.  Barclay  and  both  by 
Mahomed  (6170),  were  next  purchased.  Pre- 
mier, out  of  the  cow  Mary  Anne  by  Sillery, 
was  retained,  and  Chancellor  sold  to  Mr.  Bruce 
of  Heatherwick.  The  latter,  however,  turned 
out  to  be  the  better  bull.  Then  came  Con- 
queror (6884),  bought  as  an  aged  bull.  He  was 
also  of  Ury  blood  and  by  Mahomed. 


616        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Fairfax  Royal  (6987),— The  first  of  the  long 
line  of  distinguished  bulls  used  at  Sittyton  was 
Fairfax  Royal  (6987),  a  rich  dark  roan,  bred  by 
William  Torr.     He  was  bought  in  1845  as  a 
two-year-old  for  150  guineas  at  a  sale  made  by 
Mr.  Watson  of  Walkeringham,  who  had  given 
100  guineas  for  him  as  a  calf.    According  to  all 
the  accounts  that  have  been  handed  down  con- 
cerning the  earlier  Sittyton  stock,  and  judging 
by  the  illustration   in  Vol.  VI   Coates'   Herd 
Book,  Fairfax  Royal  was  a  bull  of  outstanding 
merit,  full  of  substance,  flesh  and  hair.     He 
was  sired  by  Lord  Adolphus  Fairfax  (4249)  out 
of  Fair  Rosamond,  and  was  a  prime  favorite 
with  Amos  Cruickshank.     He  was  a  first-prize 
bull  at  Aberdeen  in  1847,  and  in  the  opinion  of 
those  who  knew  the  best  of  the  North  Scottish 
bulls,  ranked  with  the  famous  Forth  as  one 
of  the  best  bulls  ever  owned  in  Aberdeen- 
shire.     Jamieson  states  that  his   heifers   had 
this  peculiarity  that  many  of  them  would  not 
breed  until  three  years  old,  but  when  once 
started  bred  regularly  and  well.     Several,  how- 
ever, were  sold  fat  to  the  butcher  before  this 
was  discovered.     The  same  authority  says:    "I 
remember  having  seen  the  cow  Carmine  Rose, 
by  Fairfax  Royal,  whose  name  appears  in  the 
pedigree  of  the  Violet  family.    She  was  a  grand 
beast,  very  fat  and  had  been  put  to  the  plow 
for  awhile  to  get  her  to  breed." 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK  OF   SITTYTON.          617 

Hudson  (9228),  Report  (10704)  and  Velvet 
Jacket  (10998).— At  the  English  Royal  Show 
of  1848  the  first-prize  bull  in  the  class  for 
yearlings  was  Hudson  (9228),  bred  by  W.  Lin- 
ton  of  Sheriff  Hutton,  Yorkshire.  Being  in 
need  of  a  bull  Amos  Cruickshank  went  to  see 
him  and  although  not  particularly  impressed 
bought  him — it  is  stated  because  he  could  not 
suit  himself  better  at  the  time — for  use  at  Sit- 
tyton.  Hudson  was  a  yellow-red,  somewhat 
lacking  in  scale,  but  possessed  of  exceptional 
quality,  and  won  second  at  a  Royal  Northern 
Show.  He  was  kept  in  service  two  years  and 
two  of  his  daughters,  both  possessing  his  golden 
skin  and  quality,  were  retained  for  breeding 
purposes.  One  of  these  was  China  Rose  out  of 
the  Violet  cow  Carmine  Rose  above  mentioned. 

Resort  was  next  had  to  the  herd  of  S.  Wiley 
of  Brandsby,  from  whom  was  hired  the  roan 
bull  Report  (10704),  described  as  "neat  and 
compact,  but  smallish;  and  chiefly  remembered 
as  the  sire  of  a  remarkably  fine  cow,  Buttercup, 
which  had  both  substance  and  style  in  an  unu- 
sual degree."  Fair  success  seems  to  have  at- 
tended the  use  of  the  Wiley  bull. 

The  roan  Velvet  Jacket  (10998),  bred  by  Mr. 
Un thank,  was  bought  in  1850  from  Douglas  of 
Athelstaneford,  whose  East  Lothian  herd  had 
leaped  into  fame  as  a  result  of  some  remarka- 
ble show-yard  victories.  Bred  to  Rose  of  Au- 


618        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

tumn,  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  Douglas  cows, 
Velvet  Jacket  sired  the  celebrated  Rose  of 
Summer.  Before  she  was  developed,  however, 
Amos  Cruickshank  offered  Douglas  £50  for  the 
bull,  which  was  accepted  and  he  went  to  Sitty- 
ton.  It  is  said  that  "Amos  considered  him  a 
good-looking  beast,  but  happening  soon  after 
to  see  his  dam  he  thought  her  so  very  bad  that 
he  sold  Velvet  Jacket  at  the  first  opportunity." 
What  few  calves  he  sired  while  in  the  herd 
made  no  special  mark.  He  was  winner  of  first 
prizes  at  the  Highland,  Royal  Northern  and 
Royal  Dublin  Shows. 

Matadore  (11800).— None  of  the  earlier  Sit- 
tyton  sires  proved  of  more  practical  worth  than 
the  dark-roan  Matadore  (11800).  At  the  time 
he  was  introduced  into  the  herd  the  females 
numbered  about  120  head.  This  was  in  1853. 
Matadore  was  bred  by  Mr.  W.  Smith  of  West 
Rasen,  Lincolnshire,  Eng.,  and  was  an  own 
brother  in  blood  to  one  of  the  most  valuable 
cows  ever  imported  into  America;  to- wit.,  the 
red-roan  Mazurka  for  which  Mr.  Alexander 
paid  $3,050.  Both  were  out  of  the  fine  cow 
Moselle,  by  Baron  of  Ravens  worth  (7811);  and 
both  were  sired  by  Booth  bulls — Mazurka, 
by  Harbinger  (10297),  and  Matadore,  by  Hope- 
well  (10332).  Mr.  Cruickshank  purchased  from 
Mr.  Smith  at  the  same  time  another  son  of 
Hopewell,  called  Bushranger  (11228),  and 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  619 

thought  the  latter  rather  the  better  of  the 
two.  He  practically  failed  to  breed,  however, 
and  was  soon  turned  off. 

Matadore  is  said  to  have  been  a  bull  of  fine 
quality,  with  a  capital  skin  and  hair  and  strong 
in  the  loin;  his  fault  being  some  little  lack  of 
width  through  the  chest.  He  responded  read- 
ily to  feed,  and  had  been  first  at  the  Yorkshire 
Show  of  1851  as  a  yearling.  He  was  first  at 
the  Highland  Show  at  Perth  in  1852  as  a  two- 
year-old  and  first  at  the  Royal  Northern  of 
1853.  He  was  used  in  the  herd  for  four  years 
with  much  success.  He  was  specially  distin- 
guished as  a  bull-getter;  his  sons  used  in  other 
Scottish  herds  giving  the  best  of  satisfaction 
and  doing  much  toward  establishing  the  repu- 
tation of  Sittyton.  Among  these  were  Mag- 
num Bonum  (13277),  used  by  the  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond; Pro  Bono  Publico  (13528),  sold  to  Lord 
Clancarty  of  Ireland;  Prince  of  Coburg  (15100); 
Goldfinder  (14629);  Beeswing  (12456),  the  first 
noted  bull  used  by  Campbell  of  Kinellar;  De- 
fender (12867),  the  first  Cruickshank  bull  sold 
for  export  to  America  (see  page  279);  and  Lord 
Sackville  (13249),  that  was  the  first  home-bred 
bull  except  Prince  Edward  Fairfax  retained  for 
service  by  Mr.  Cruickshank. 

Lord  Sackville  was  a  roan  of  great  constitu- 
tion, possessing  the  same  great  back  and  loin 
that  distinguished  both  Matadore  and  Mazurka. 


620        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

It  was  the  cross  of  Lord  Sackville  upon  the 
Secret  cows  that  first  brought  that  sort  up  to 
the  Sittyton  standard.  A  portrait  of  Matadore 
will  be  found  in  Vol.  X  of  Coates'  Herd  Book. 
Plantagenet  (11906).— This  red-and-white 
bull,  bred  by  Col.  Towneley,  had  been  bought 
as  a  calf  by  Douglas  of  Athelstaneford,  who 
sold  him  to  Mr.  Cruickshank  as  a  yearling  in 
1852.  He  was  sired  by  Duke  of  Lancaster 
(10929) — bred  by  Mr.  Eastwood  and  got  by 
Lax's  Duke  (9032),  sire  of  Towneley's  famous 
Frederick  (11489) — out  of  Madeline,,  bred  by 
John  Booth  of  Killerby.  Plantagenet  was 
shown  at  Aberdeen  as  a  yearling,  winning  first 
prize,  but  died  after  one  year's  service  at  Sitty- 
ton. He  was  the  sire  of  the  twin  heifer  calves 
Virtue  and  Verdure,  that  became  the  dams  of 
two  of  the  greatest  bulls  ever  known  in  Scot- 
land—Virtue producing,  to  a  service  by  Lan- 
caster Comet  (11663),  the  most  renowned  of 
all  Cruickshank  bulls  Champion  of  England 
(17526).  Her  sister,  Verdure,  bred  to  The 
Baron  (13833),  dropped  Scarlet  Velvet  (16916), 
a  very  stylish  bull  that  had  a  successful  career 
in  the  herd  of  Mr.  Campbell.  It  is  stated  that 
Mr.  Cruickshank  did  not  credit  Plantagenet 
very  largely  in  connection  with  the  production 
of  Champion  of  England,  that  honor  being  at- 
tributed rather  to  Lancaster  Comet.  Virtue 
and  Verdure  and  another  Plantagenet  cow 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK   OF    SITTYTON.  621 

Sharon's  Rose,  were  all  good  milkers  but  rather 
plain  in  appearance. 

Doctor  Buckingham  (14405).— This  red 
bull  was  a  pure  Booth,  bred  by  Ambler,  and 
sired  by  Hopewell  (10332)  out  of  the  Warlaby- 
bred  Bloom.  He  cost  Messrs.  Cruickshank 
400  guineas.  Much  difficulty  was  experienced 
in  getting  him  to  serve  properly  and  after  a 
short  time  he  was  sold  to  Mr.  R.  A.  Alex- 
ander, who  imported  him  to  Kentucky.  He 
figures  in  Mr.  Cruickshank's  operations  mainly 
as  the  sire  of  the  first  of  the  Sittyton  Orange 
Blossoms. 

The  Baron  (13833),— At  Mr.  Tanqueray's 
sale  at  Hendon,  near  London,  in  1855  Mr.  An- 
thony Cruickshank  purchased  for  400  guineas 
the  two-year-old  red  bull  The  Baron  (13833), 
that  had  been  bred  by  Mr.  Richard  Chaloner  of 
Ireland.  He  was  sired  by  Baron  Warlaby  (7813) 
out  of  Bon  Bon,  of  Earl  Spencer's  breeding.  As 
a  yearling  he  had  headed  his  class  at  Dublin 
and  in  Scotland  was  one  of  the  notable  win- 
ners at  the  Highland  and  Royal  Shows  of  1854, 
1855  and  1856.  He  was  described  as  very  neat 
in  his  quarters,  but  rather  lacking  in  mascu- 
line character.  In  spite  of  this  fact,  however, 
he  proved  a  very  prolific  and,  as  was  thought 
at  the  time,  a  very  successful  sire,  especially  of 
heifers;  his  get  showing  more  style  and  finish 
than  had  yet  been  seen  in  the  herd.  His  bulls 


622        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

generally  lacked  substance,  although  Scarlet 
Velvet  and  Magnus  Troil  constituted  excep- 
tions to  this  rule. 

The  Baron  was  used  for  six  or  seven  years, 
and  his  heifers  grew  into  very  handsome  cows 
up  to  about  five  years  of  age,  but  after  that 
seemed  to  lose  "bloom"  and  a  number  of  them 
showed  signs  of  disease.  They  were,  for  the 
most  part,  indifferent  milkers,  and  few  of  them 
lived  to  be  more  than  seven  or  eight  years  old. 
Speaking  of  this  Jamieson  says:  "There  was 
evidently  a  want  of  constitution  about  The 
Baron,  but  it  must  have  been  many  years  be- 
fore suspicion  arose  that  he  was  doing  mischief 
in  the  herd,  for  several  bulls  out  of  cows  sired 
by  The  Baron  were  kept  for  service.  None  of 
them,  however,  proved  a  success  and  gradually 
The  Baron  blood  was  well  cleared  out.  Only 
two  of  his  own  sons  seem  to  have  been  used 
as  stock  bulls;  namely,  Baronet  (1614)  and 
Lancaster  Royal  (18167).  Baronet  was  out  of 
an  extra  good  cow,  Buttercup,  and  was  used 
for  two  or  three  seasons.  He  had  more  sub- 
stance and  less  style  than  The  Baron,  was 
sound  and  robust  and  proved  to  be  a  useful 
sire.  Lancaster  Royal  was  kept  because  he 
was  from  a  Lancaster  cow  whose  dam  came 
from  Wilkinson  of  Lenton.  He  was  little  used, 
but  sired  the  good  cow  Cicely,  whose  descend- 
ants formed  one  of  the  best  families  at  Sitty- 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK    OF    SITTYTON.  623 

ton  in  the  latter  years  of  the  herd's  exist- 


ence." 


Lord  Bathurst  (15173).— This  bull  was 
dropped  at  Sittyton  July  5,  1854,  by  the  Wil- 
kinson cow  Lancaster  16th,  that  had  been 
bought  at  the  Lenton  sale  the  previous  year  in 
calf  to  Monarch  (13347).  He  was  one  of  three 
yearling  bulls  exhibited  by  Messrs.  Cruickshank 
at  Aberdeen  in  1855  that  won  first,  second  and 
third  prizes,  the  latter  position  being  assigned 
to  this  Lancaster  calf.  Although  the  Wilkin- 
son sort  was  held  in  high  esteem  at  Sittyton  a 
red  breeding  bull  was  wanted  just  at  this  time, 
and  as  Lord  Bathurst  was  roan  and  had  inher- 
ited white  legs  from  his  dam  he  was  sold  to 
Mr.  Stronach  of  Ardmeallie,  in  wrhose  hands  he 
proved  a  remarkable  getter.  He  met  with  an 
accident,  however,  and  had  to  be  killed  after 
one  season's  use.  Before  leaving  Sittyton  he 
had  been  bred  to  several  heifers  and  two  of  his 
females,  Violet  and  Vintage,  grew  into  good 
cows  and  were  excellent  breeders.  Violet  pro- 
duced Grand  Monarque  (21867),  a  stock-getter 
of  outstanding  merit,  and  also  Village  Rose, 
that  was  in  all  probability  about  the  best  cow 
the  Cruickshanks  ever  bred.  Vintage  was  the 
dam  of  Village  Belle.  It  has  always  been  con- 
sidered that  Village  Rose  and  Village  Belle 
were  the  two  best  of  all  the  great  cows  sired 
by  Champion  of  England. 


40 


624        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Master  Butterfly  2d  (14918).— This  was  a 
son  of  Col.  Towneley's  champion  bull  Master 
Butterfly  (13311),  that  was  sold  to  go  to  Aus- 
tralia for  1,200  guineas  after  having  headed  the 
Towneley  herd  at  the  National  Showrs  of  Great 
Britain  and  at  the  International  Exposition  at 
Paris  in  1856.  His  dam  was  the  show  cow 
Vestris  2d.  He  had  been  bought  by  Mr.  Mar- 
joribanks  at  twelve  months  old  for  300  guineas, 
and  at  his  sale  in  1856  was  purchased  for  Sitty- 
ton  at  400  guineas.  The  purchase  of  this  bull 
doubtless  reflected  Mr.  Anthony  Cruickshank's 
desire  to  profit  by  the  advertising  involved  in 
the  ownership  of  a  high-priced  son  of  the 
greatest  English  show  bull  of  his  time.  Amos, 
however,  never  liked  him  and  upon  the  bull's 
death  some  twelve  months  after  his  purchase 
remarked  that  the  beast  had  not  died  any  too 
soon.  It  is  stated  that  what  few  calves  he  sired 
at  Sittyton  were  "light-made,  light-fleshed,  too 
leggy  and  never  had  carcass  enough."  We  be- 
lieve the  only  one  of  the  Sittyton  pedigrees  in 
which  this  bull's  name  appears  in  recent  years 
is  one  branch  of  the  Victorias. 

John  Bull  (11618),— From  the  foregoing  it 
will  be  observed  that  the  Messrs.  Cruickshank 
were  inclined  to  test  all  of  the  leading  bloods 
of  the  period;  and  as  they  had  been  well 
pleased  with  the  use  of  the  Wiley  bull  Report, 
already  mentioned,  they  now  went  to  Brandsby 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  625 

for  another  sire;  purchasing  in  1858  John  Bull 
(11618).  He  is  said  to  have  been  an  animal  of 
great  length  and  rather  high  on  leg.*  It  is  in- 
teresting to  note  as  evidencing  the  intent  of 
Mr.  Cruickshank  to  weed  out  mercilessly  every- 
thing that  did  not  suit,  that  only  two  of  John 
Bull's  calves  were  ^retained.  These  were  the 
cows  Cressida  and  Jubilee,  "both  compact, 
deep,  well-proportioned  cows,  not  at  all  too 
long,  and  real  good  beasts." 

Lord  Raglan  (13244),— This  noted  bull  came 
to  Sittyton  at  seven  years  of  age,  in  1860,  and 
was  used  until  twelve  years  old.  He  was  bred 
by  Mark  Stewart  of  Southwick  and  sired  by 
Maynard's  Crusade  (7938).  He  had  been  used 
by  Douglas  of  Athelstaneford,  as  well  as  by 
Lord  Kinnaird  and  Lord  Southesk.  He  was 
purchased  from  the  latter  at  110  guineas.  It 
is  of  interest  to  state  that  Mr.  William  Miller, 
then  of  Canada  and  later  of  Storm  Lake,  la., 
came  near  buying  Lord  Raglan  in  1856f  and 

*  Speaking  of  John  Bull,  Jamieson  says:  "He  was  a  very  lengthy  ani- 
mal, not  too  well  let  down,  tender  on  his  feet  and  walked  very  slow.  A 
worthy  neighbor,  Mr.  Phillip  of  Boynds,  watching  him  on  one  occasion  as 
he  gradually  emerged  out  of  a  door  said:  '  If  I  am  to  wait  until  all  of  your 
bull  comes  out,  Mr.  Cruickshank,  I  would  need  a  chair  to  sit  doon  on.'  " 

tMr.  Miller,  who  was  in  Great  Britain  in  1856  buying  Short-horns,  says: 
"  This  was  the  time  that  I  ought  to  have  sent  out  Lord  Raglan  before 
Cruickshank  got  him.  Simon  Beattie  and  I  went  to  Southwick  to  see  him, 
but  Stewart  priced  him  just  high  enough  to  keep  him  out  of  my  reach.  I 
got  within  £5,  but  although  Simon  was  pushing  me  I  dare  not  go  it.  How- 
ever, I  have  no  doubt  the  bull  did  a  lot  more  good  as  it  was.  Of  all  the 
bulls  I  saw  in  Britain  at  that  time  I  preferred  Lord  Raglan.  I  think  he  was 
priced  to  me  at  about  £100.  He  was  then  tw<5  years  old  and  impressed  me 
as  being  one  of  the  substantial  rather  than  the  showy  sort." 


626         A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

never  ceased  to  regret  that  he  did  not  trans- 
fer the  bull  to  America. 

Lord  Raglan  grew  into  "a  large,  stylish, 
rather  highstanding  bull,  fertile  as  a  yearling, 
quite  useless  as  a  two-year-old  and  unusually 
prolific  ever  after.  In  outward  appearance 
he  took  after  his  sire,  Crusade,  whom  Douglas 
considered  the  best  bull  of  his  day  in  England." 
He  was  a  Highland  winner  in  the  hands  of  Lord 
Kinnaird  in  1857  and  on  being  taken  North  to 
Sittyton  in  1860  was  the  Challenge  Cup  winner 
at  the  Royal  Northern  and  first  at  the  Perth 
Highland  of  1861.  Probably  the  two  best  indi- 
vidual cows  among  his  get  at  Sittyton  were 
Butterfly  5th  and  The  Gem.  His  most  valuable 
daughter,  however,  proved  to  be  Golden  Days, 
"possibly  the  best  milker  of  her  time  in  the 
herd.  She  left  a  valuable  progeny,  including 
the  prize  bull  Pride  of  the  Isles  (35072),  and 
lived  to  be  one  of  the  oldest  cows  of  the  herd. 

The  Czar  (20947).  This  was  the  best  of  the 
Lord  Raglan  bulls  and  saw  considerable  service 
at  Sittyton.  He  was  a  red,  "  compact  and  well 
set  on  his  legs,"  and  sired  Carmine,  a  thick- 
fleshed,  well-haired  cow,  with  extraordinary 
back  and  ribs,  that  produced  the  famous  Prin- 
cess Royal  already  described.  Mr.  Cruickshank 
is  quoted  as  saying  that  he  did  not  reap  as 
much  benefit  from  the  use  of  Lord  Raglan  as 
he  had  anticipated.  Notwithstanding  this  fact 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  627 

some  of  his  very  best  cattle,  including  Grand 
Duke  of  Gloster  (26288),  Pride  of  the  Isles 
(35072),  Bridesman  (30586)  and  the  handsome 
Mimulus  were  bred  from  Lord  Raglan  cows. 

Lancaster  Comet  (11663). — Mr.  Cruickshank 
had  long  been  partial  to  the  stock  of  Wilkinson 
of  Lenton.  We  have  already  noted  his  efforts 
at  introducing  the  blood  through  the  Lancas- 
ters  and  Lavenders.  Robert  Bruce  relates  that 
in  speaking  of  his  first  visit  to  Lenton  to  in- 
spect Mr.  Wilkinson's  herd  Mr.  Cruickshank 
said :  "  After  seeing  the  cattle  I  was  so  excited 
that  when  I  tried  to  write  to  Anthony  at  night 
I  could  not  use  a  pen.  I  had  to  write  with  a 
pencil."  This  little  incident  proves  two  things. 
First,  the  fact  that  in  spite  of  his  habitual  self- 
control  Amos  Cruickshank  possessed  a  quiet  en- 
thusiasm capable  of  being  thoroughly  aroused. 
It  indicates  also  that  there  was  something  in 
the  Wilkinson  stock  not  found  in  other  con- 
temporary herds.  In  fact  the  Lenton  blood 
alone  seems  to  have  been  the  subject  of  Mr. 
Cruickshank's  steadfast  devotion. 

In  the  autumn  of  1858  it  was  thought  desira- 
ble to  purchase  a  stock  bull  for  use  at  Sittyton. 
A  good  young  red  one  was  desired  at  that  time. 
Mr.  Cruickshank  wrote  to  Wilkinson,  inquiring 
if  he  could  furnish  such  a  bull.  He  replied  that 
he  could  not,  but  recommended  old  Lancaster 
Comet  (11663),  then  in  his  eighth  year,  which 


628        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

he  offered  to  sell  at  a  nominal  price.  After 
first  examining  the  herds  of  Mark  Stewart,  S. 
E.  Bolden,  Richard  Booth,  Col.  Towneley  and 
Messrs.  Dudding  without  success  Mr.  Cruick- 
shank  wrote  to  Wilkinson  that  he  might  ship 
Lancaster  Comet.  He  was  forwarded  to  Sitty- 
ton  in  November,  1858.  Mr.  Cruickshank  went 
to  the  station  to  meet  the  bull,  and  his  first 
glimpse  of  "his  great  head  and  horns  lowering 
upon  him  over  the  side  of  the  truck"  caused 
him  to  turn  away  in  disappointment.  Lancas- 
ter Comet  had  a  large  head,  with  horns  of  great 
length.  They  were  well  enough  set  onto  the 
head  and  curved  toward  the  front.  They  were 
not  very  thick,  nor  were  they  pointed  at  the 
tips,  being  more  uniform  in  thickness  from 
base  to  point  than  is  ordinarily  observed.  One 
sarcastic  neighbor,  of  the  type  often  present 
upon  such  occasions,  remarked:  "If  he  wanted 
a  Highland  bull  he  might  have  got  one  nearer 
home."  Notwithstanding  the  horns,  however, 
Lancaster  Comet  was  a  good  bull.  He  stood 
near  to  the  ground,  had  a  beautiful  coat  of 
hair,  a  round  barrel,  straight  top  and  bottom 
lines,  level  quarters,  nicely -filled  thighs,  car- 
ried plenty  of  flesh  and  was  active  on  his  feet. 
In  size  he  was  about  medium.  He  had  been  a 
great  favorite  with  Mr.  Wilkinson  and  was 
somewhat  inbred,  both  his  sire — The  Queen's 
Roan  (7389) — and  dam  having  been  got  by  the 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK   OF    SITTYTON.  629 

same  bull,  the  roan  Will  Honeycomb  (5660), 
illustrated  in  Vol.  IV,  Coates'  Herd  Book;  a 
bull  that  was  bred  by  Mr.  J.  Beetham  of  West 
Harlsey,  near  Northallerton,  and  used  by  Mr. 
Wilkinson  for  some  years. 

Lancaster  Comet  was  scarcely  as  massive  as 
Mr.  Cruickshank  would  have  liked  and  was  rel- 
egated to  the  Clyne  farm,  it  is  said,  "to  hide 
his  horns."  The  following  spring  he  was 
turned  into  a  pasture  along  with  a  lot  of  cows 
that  had  not  settled  to  the  bulls  by  which  they 
had  been  served.  He  ran  out  quite  late  in  the 
field  that  fall  and  contracted  rheumatism  so 
severely  that  it  became  necessary  to  send  him 
to  the  shambles.  Not  more  than  a  dozen  calves 
are  known  to  have  been  sired  by  him  at  Sitty- 
ton,  perhaps  a  half  a  dozen  of  each  sex.  None 
of  the  females  were  retained.  One  of  them 
called  Camelia  made  a  fine  yearling  and  two- 
year-old,  but  was  disappointing  ai?  full  matur- 
ity. One  of  the  bulls,  recorded  as  Moonshade 
(18419),  was  bought  by  Bruce  of  Inverquhom- 
ery.  Another  that  attracted  no  special  notice 
for  a  time  was  retained  by  Mr.  Cruickshank 
under  the  name  of  Champion  of  England 
(17526).  Lancaster  Comet  had  cost  but  30 
guineas,  but  so  far-reaching  was  his  influence 
upon  the  herd,  as  exerted  through  the  bull  just 
mentioned,  that  the  history  of  the  Cruickshank 
cattle  naturally  divides  itself  into  two  epochs, 


630        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

one  dealing  with  the  period  before  his  intro- 
duction and  the  other  a  record  of  what  followed 
after  that  date. 

Champion  of  England  (17526), — From  the 
foundation  of  the  herd  in  1837  down  to  1860  it 
had  been  with  Amos  Cruickshank  one  long,  con- 
tinuous and  but  partially  successful  search  for 
the  type  of  cattle  he  so  earnestly  desired.  Dur- 
ing that  time  great  numbers  of  cows,  heifers 
and  bulls  had  been  bought  from  the  best  Scotch 
and  English  herds,  but  in  spite  of  a  long  list  of 
show-yard  victories,  and  notwithstanding  the 
production  of  at  least  an  average  percentage 
of  good  cattle,  Amos  Cruickshank's  ideal  had 
scarcely  been  realized.  As  yet  there  was  a 
lack  of  uniformity  in  essential  characteristics. 
Lancaster  Comet,  however,  supplied,  through 
Champion  of  England  out  of  the  cow  Virtue  by 
Plantagenet  (11906),  the  means  of  correcting 
this  fault.  He  was  a  roan,  dropped  Nov.  29, 
1859,  and  although  not  a  phenomenal  calf  at 
the  start  was  deemed  good  enough  to  be  sent 
to  the  Royal  English  Show  at  Leeds  in  1861. 
Being  a  November  calf  he  had  to  compete  upon 
that  occasion  against  two-year-olds,  and  as  he 
was  only  a  yearling  he  failed  to  secure  a  place. 
He  was  also  shown  at  Aberdeen,  but  was  only 
able  to  secure  a  third  prize.  On  account  of  this 
non-success  he  came  near  being  disposed  of, 
but  there  was  something  about  the  young 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK    OF    SITTYTON.  631 

bull's  hair,  quality  and  thrift  that  led  Mr. 
Cruickshank  to  decide  upon  his  retention  for  a 
time  at  least.  The  bull  was  particularly  strong 
on  his  fore  ribs,  developed  remarkable  feeding 
quality  and  soon  began  to  assume  more  mas- 
sive proportions  than  had  been  displayed  by 
his  sire.  He  was  not  so  level  in  his  quarters 
as  Lancaster  Comet,  drooping  a  bit  from  the 
hips  to  the  tail,  a  fault  which  he  probably  in- 
herited from  his  dam.*  His  calves  soon  evi- 
denced rare  promise.  They  were  robust,  thick- 
fleshed,  near  to  the  ground  and  possessed  a  pro- 
pensity for  putting  on  flesh  such  as  had  not 
been  shown  by  the  get  of  any  of  his  predeces- 
sors in  service.  Mr.  Cruickshank  resolved  to 
use  him  freely  and  not  risk  impairment  of  his 
usefulness  by  putting  him  in  high  condition 
for  the  shows.  Meantime  the  settled  policy  of 
testing  the  best  bulls  obtainable  from  contem- 
porary stocks  was  not  abandoned. 

Windsor  Augustus  (19157). — The  selection 
of  this  roan  bull  represented  another  effort  on 
the  part  of  Messrs.  Cruickshank  to  utilize  Booth 
blood.  Like  the  previous  experiments,  how- 
ever, in  the  same  direction  it  did  not  altogether 
fulfil  expectations.  Windsor  Augustus  was 

*Mr.  Jamieson  writes:  "I  do  not  remember  having1  seen  the  Cham- 
pion's dam,  but  one  day  when  going1  through  the  byres  with  Amos  Cruick- 
shank I  asked  him  what  like  a  beast  she  was.  '  Well,'  said  he,  '  she  was 
very  like  that  one,'  pointing  to  a  cow  standing  at  the  end  of  the  byre.  This 
was  a  good-sized  red  animal,  with  plainish  hind  quarters.  Champion  of 
England  was  never  kept  on  account  of  the  merits  of  his  dam." 


632        A   HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

bred  by  Mr.  Carr  and  sired  by  Richard  Booth's 
Windsor  (14013).  He  had  been  a  winner  at  the 
leading  English  shows,  and  was  one  of  th3 
highest-priced  bulls  ever  bought  for  service 
in  the  herd.  He  was  used  during  the  seasons 
of  1863  and  1864,  but  Amos  Cruickshank  never 
liked  him  and  did  nob  retain  many  of  his  prog- 
eny. He  left  a  few  good  things,  nevertheless, 
including  the  fine  cow  Lovely  9th,  that  pro- 
duced to  Champion  of  England  the  stock  bull 
Lord  Lancaster  (26666). 

Forth  (17866).— This  famous  bull  was  taken 
to  Sittyton  in  1864  at  four  years  of  age  with  the 
reputation  of  being  "the  grandest  Short-horn  of 
his  time."  He  was  a  light  roan,  possessing  great 
scale  and  substance,  bred  by  Sir  William  Ster- 
ling Maxwell  of  Keir.  He  had  been  a  cham- 
pion show  bull  at  leading  exhibitions  both  in 
England  and  Scotland,  and  while  some  doubt 
was  felt  as  to  his  proving  a  breeder  high  hopes 
were  entertained  as  to  what  he  would  accom- 
plish when  mated  with  the  "crack"  cows  of  the 
Sittyton  herd.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  he 
was  individually  the  best  bull  ever  bought  for 
Sittyton.  His  portrait  will  be  found  in  Vol. 
XVI  of  Coates'  Herd  Book.  He  was  described 
as  "a  remarkably  fine  animal  on  a  large  scale, 
having  length,  breadth  and  depth  to  satisfy  the 
most  fastidious  and  was  extremely  good  tem- 
pered. He  had  a  good  head,  a  full,  placid  eye, 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK  OF   SITTYTON.          633 

a  rich  coat  of  hair,  great  girth  of  body,  with 
ribs  arching  well  out  from  his  back.  His  horns 
were  somewhat  coarse."  Forth  remained  in 
service  until  1870  and  notwithstanding  his  high 
condition  left  a  large  number  of  calves.  While 
filling  the  eye  much  more  perfectly  than  Cham- 
pion of  England  he  did  not  approach  the  latter 
as  a  sire.  Still  he  left  some  good  stock,  among 
others  the  cow  Violet's  Forth,  that  was  im- 
ported to  America  arul  shown  with  success  in 
the  Western  States,  as  has  been  already  noted. 
It  was  the  exhibition  of  this  cow  that  first 
drew  prominent  attention  to  Mr.  Cruickshank's 
breeding  in  the  United  States.  Viceroy  (32764), 
by  Champion  of  England  out  of  Violet's  Forth, 
was  used  a  short  time  in  the  herd.  Another  of 
the  Forth  cows,  Anemone,  although  not  much 
to  look  at,  was  a  capital  breeder.  Two  sons  of 
Forth  bred  at  Sittyton,  Royal  Forth  (25022)  and 
Julius  Caesar  (26486),  had  a  trial  in  service  but 
did  not  give  satisfaction  and  were  sold.  One 
of  the  best  of  his  get,  Lord  Forth  (26649),  was 
used  by  Mr.  Longmore  of  Rettie. 

Allan  (21172),  a  red  bull  bred  at  Keir  and 
sired  by  Forth  prior  to  his  purchase  for  Sitty- 
ton out  of  a  cow  of  Knightley  blood,  was 
bought  and  used  in  the  herd  for  three  years 
with  a  good  degree  of  success. 

Lord  Privy  Seal  (16444).— In  1865  Anthony 
Cruickshank  bought  at  a  sale  by  Lord  Kinnaird 


634         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  roan  bull  Lord  Privy  Seal.  He  was  bred 
by  the  late  Prince  Consort  at  Windsor  and 
was  sired  by  the  Booth  bull  Prince  Alfred 
(13494)  out  of  Cowslip  by  the  famous  show  bull 
Belleville  (6778).  He  was  then  in  his  seventh 
year,  having  been  taken  North  as  a  yearling 
and  bought  by  Lord  Kinnaird  in  1860.  All 
hands  at  Sittyton  were  disappointed  in  the  bull 
upon  his  arrival.  He  lacked  size  as  well  as 
flesh,  and  was  not  extensively  used.  Like  most 
of  his  predecessors,  however,  he  left  a  few  good 
calves,  such  as  the  bull  Multum  in  Parvo 
(26934),  and  the  cow  Victoria  41st,  one  of  the 
best  of  her  family  and  a  fine  breeder — the  dam 
of  the  bull  Ventriloquist  (44180). 

Prince  Alfred  (27107).— In  1871  Mr.  Pawlett 
offered  to  sell  to  Mr.  Cruickshank  Baron  Killer- 
by  (23364).  Amos  went  to  see  him,  but  was 
more  favorably  impressed  with  one  of  his  sons, 
Prince  Alfred  (27107),  and  wished  to  take  him 
instead  of  the  sire.  Being  unable  to  buy  the 
young  bull  without  taking  them  both,  he  closed 
a  trade  for  the  pair  and  shipped  them  to  Sitty- 
ton. Baron  Killerby  was  then  six  years  old  and 
possessed  a  bad  temper.  He  was  too  heavy  in 
the  bone  to  suit  Mr.  Cruickshank,  and  was  but 
little  used.  Prince  Alfred  was  a  young  bull  of 
much  promise,  but,  as  luck  would  have  it,  foot- 
and-mouth  disease  appeared  in  the  herd  not 
long  after  his  purchase  and  he  succumbed  to 


AMOS   CRUICKSHANK  OF  SITTYTON.  635 

the  malady.  He  was  the  only  animal  in  the 
herd  that  was  lost.  This  is  rather  a  surprising 
fact  in  view  of  the  the  statement  that  Prince 
Alfred  is  said  to  have  been  of  robust  appear- 
ance and  was  thought  to  have  capital  constitu- 
tion. While  no  opportunity  was  had  to  breed 
any  great  number  of  cows  to  him,  the  heifers 
that  he  left  in  the  herd  indicate  that  his  un- 
timely death  was  a  severe  loss.  One  of  his 
daughters,  Garnet,  proved  the  ancestress  of 
some  of  the  best  cows  in  the  herd  during  its 
later  years.  Another,  Alma,  sold  as  a  yearling 
to  Mr.  Mitchell,  "developed  most  wonderfully 
and  expanded  into  one  of  the  largest  and 
grandest  cows  that  was  ever  seen,  with  im- 
mense loins  and  back  and  good  shoulders.  In- 
deed, as  a  show-yard  animal,  few  cows  ever 
bred  at  Sittyton  would  have  been  a  match  for 
her."  She  took  first  prize  at  the  Highland 
Show  of  1876,  the  cup  at  Aberdeen  in  1879  as 
best  breeding  animal  in  the  Short-horn  class, 
besides  many  other  honors. 

Other  outside  bulls. — Between  the  years 
1866  and  1877,  in  addition  to  Baron  Killerby 
and  Prince  Alfred,  there  was  bought  and  tried 
in  the  herd  the  bulls  Rob  Roy  (22740),  Count 
Robert  (30812),  Scotch  Rose  (25099)~out  of 
the  famous  Rosedale;  Knight  of  the  Whistle 
(26558),  Master  Darlington  (37067),  Meridian 
(38748),  Ravenshope  (22681),  and  General  Wind- 


636        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

sor  (28701).  None  of  these,  however,  gave  as 
good  satisfaction  as  the  home-bred  bulls  used 
during  the  same  period. 

Concentration  of  the  Champion  of  England 
blood. — Writers  of  romance  after  following  the 
fortunes  of  their  heroes  and  heroines  through 
various  trials  and  tribulations  to  a  point  where 
all  is  joy  and  rapture  usually  dismiss  them  with 
the  remark  that  "they  lived  happily  ever  after." 
It  may  almost  be  said  of  Amos  Cruickshank 
that  when  he  produced  Champion  of  England, 
after  twenty-five  years  of  conscientious  work, 
he  was  at  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  his 
troubles  as  a  Short-horn  breeder.  One  after 
another  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  this,  the 
greatest  stock  bull  Scotland  has  ever  known, 
grew  up  into  cattle  of  the  real  rent-paying  sort. 
Pages  might  be  filled  with  the  names,  pedigrees 
and  performances  of  his  descendants  in  the 
show-yards  and  breeding-pens  of  Britain  and 
America,  but  space  will  not  here  permit.  Such 
cows  as  Village  Belle,  Village  Rose,  Princess 
Royal,  Morning  Star,  British  Queen,  Carmine 
Rose,  Silvery,  Mimulus,  Surmise,  Circassia,  Vio- 
lante,  Finella  and  Victqrine  would  alone  suffice 
to  make  the  reputation  of  the  most  ambitious 
breeder.  Not  only  were  these  and  other  of  the 
best  of  the  Champion's  heifers  retained  for 
breeding  purposes  but  his  bulls  were  given  a 
trial  along  with  sires  obtained  from  other  herds. 


AMOS   CB'OIOKSHANK   OF    SITTYTON.  637 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  in  resorting 
to  bulls  of  his  own  breeding  Mr.  Cruickshank 
was  contravening  what  had  been  the  almost 
universal  practice  in  Scotland.  It  is  generally 
believed  by  those  most  familiar  with  his  work 
that  if  he  had  begun  placing  his  own  bulls  in 
service -many  years  earlier  he  would  have  more 
quickly  realized  his  ambitions.  It  seems  clear 
that  the  grand  roan  bull  Lord  Sackville  (13249), 
mentioned  on  page  619,  might  have  filled  the 
place  held  later  by  Champion  of  England  had 
he  been  given  like  opportunity;  for  he  possessed 
such  grand  constitution,  substance  and  quality, 
and  with  his  limited  opportunity  wrought  such 
an  improvement  on  the  Secrets  and  a  few  other 
Sittyton  sorts  that  he  would  doubtless  have 
made  a  great  reputation'  had  he  been  more 
freely  used.  Longmore  of  Rettie  is  generally 
credited  with  having  been  the  first  of  the  North 
of  Scotland  breeders  to  place  home-bred  bulls 
in  service.  He  was  a  man  of  rare  intelligence, 
and  although  his  herd  was  small  as  compared 
with  that  at  Sittyton  he  met  with  marked  suc- 
cess by  his  departure  from  the  then  prevailing 
usage,  his  stock  possessing  unusual  size,  flesh 
and  real  show-yard  character.  Experience  had 
now  taught  Mr.  Cruickshank  the  uncertainties 
attending  the  use  of  even  the  best  individual 
bulls  acquired  from  various  sources  and  rep- 
resenting many  diverse  elements.  With  his 


638        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

usual  caution  he  felt  his  way  slowly  at  first 
with  the  Champion  of  England  bulls,  but  when 
once  convinced  that  he  was  on  the  right  track 
he  pursued  his  plan  to  the  end. 

Among  the  bulls  chosen  for  the  purpose  of 
concentrating  this  blood  may  be  mentioned 
the  roan  Caractacus  (19397),  a  winner  of  chal- 
lenge cups  at  Aberdeen  and  Perth,  that  was 
calved  in  1862  by  Nonpareil  20th,  a  daugh- 
ter of  The  Baron;  the  roan  Grand  Monarque 
(21867),  calved  in  1863  by  Violet  by  Lord  Bath- 
urst;  the  roan  Royal  Oak  (22792),  dropped  in 
1864  by  Oakleaf  by  The  Baron;  the  red  Prince 
Imperial  (22595),  calved  in  1864  by  Candia  by 
The  Baron;  the  red  Lord  Byron  (24363),  dropped 
in  1865  by  Butterfly  by  Matadore;  the  red  Caesar 
Augustus  (25704),  calved  in  1867  by  Emily, 
daughter  of  Lord  Sackville;  the  roan  Grand 
Duke  of  Gloster  (26288),  dropped  in  1868  by  9th 
Duchess  of  Gloster,  daughter  of  Lord  Raglan; 
the  roan  Lord  Lancaster  (26666),  of  the  crop  of 
1868,  dropped  by  Lovely  9th  by  Windsor  Au- 
gustus; the  roan  Master  of  Arts  (26867),  dropped 
same  year  by  The  Gem  by  Lord  Raglan;  and 
the  roan  Viceroy  (32764),  calved  in  1871  by 
Violet's  Forth,  afterward  a  noted  show  c'ow  in 
America. 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  bulls  from  cows 
by  The  Baron  made  any  special  impression  on 
the  herd.  Those  representing  the  cross  of 


AMOS  CRUICKSHANK  OP  SITTYTON.  .      639 

Champion  of  England  upon  cows  carrying  the 
blood  of  Lord  Raglan,  Lord  Sackville  and  Lord 
Bathurst,  including  Grand  Monarque,  Caesar 
Augustus  and  Grand  Duke  of  Gloster,  were 
potent  factors  in  bringing  the  herd  to  its  best 
estate. 

Scotland's  Pride  and  Pride  of  the  Isles.— 
Scotland's  Pride,  calved  in  1866,  was  sired  by 
Grand  Monarque  out  of  Lovely  8th,  a  cow  that 
belonged  to  a  tribe  much  esteemed  in  the 
North.  His  sire,  like  many  other  of  the  sons 
of  Champion  of  England,  did  not  have  a  head 
entirely  to  Mr.  Cruickshank's  liking.  This  was 
a  characteristic  doubtless  inherited  from  old 
Lancaster  Comet,  and  on  account  of  the  clamor 
about  his  head  and  horns  Grand  Monarque  was 
sacrificed  before  his  real  value  as  a  stock-get- 
ter, as  illustrated  in  Scotland's  Pride,  was  fully 
realized.  The  latter  was  a  stylish,  deep-fleshed 
roan,  winning  first  prize  as  a  yearling  at  the 
Highland  in  1867  and  a  $250  Challenge  Cup 
same  year.  He  proved  one  of  the  best  sires 
ever  'bred  at  Sittyton;  one  of  his  sons,  the 
roan  prize  bull  Pride  of  the  Isles  (35072)- 
from  Golden  Days  by  Lord  Raglan,  calved  in 
1872,  acquiring  great  celebrity.  Speaking  of 
this  valuable  bull  Mr.  Edward  Cruickshank 
says:  "I  do  not  think  that  Pride  of  the  Isles 
ever  had  his  merit  fairly  recognized.  He  was 
a  grand  animal  himself,  and  his  young  stock 


640        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

looked  well;  but  as  cows  they  were  such  good 
milkers  that  they  were  never  much  to  look  at, 
although  good  breeders."  An  own  brother  to 
Pride  of  the  Isles,  known  as  Lord  of  the  Isles, 
was  also  used  in  the  herd.  They  were  of  the 
Bra  with  Bud  or  Pure  Gold  tribe. 

Caesar  Augustus, — This  good  red  bull,  calved 
in  1867,  joined  the  blood  of  the  two  grand  bulls 
Champion  of  England  and  Lord  Sackville,  and 
became  one  of  the  most  valuable  sires  and  show 
bulls  used  in  the  herd.  He  was  exhibited  with 
great  success,  and  some  of  his  daughters  proved 
among  the  most  valuable  breeding  cows  owned 
at  Sittyton,  among  them  being  Azalea,  the  dam 
of  Field  Marshal. 

Royal  Duke  of  Gloster. — This  remarkably 
successful  stock  bull,  a  red,  calved  in  1870,  was 
got  by  Grand  Duke  of  Gloster  out  of  Mimulus, 
a  good  cow  descending  in  the  maternal  line 
from  the  stock  of  Rennie  of  Phantassie.  He 
represented  the  strongest  concentration  of 
blood  Mr.  Cruickshank  had  up  to  that  date 
used;  both  his  sire  and  dam  having  been  got 
by  Champion  of  England  out  of  Lord  Raglan 
cows.  As  the  sire  of  Roan  Gauntlet  and  of  the 
dam  of  Cumberland  Royal  Duke  of  Gloster  ac- 
quired high  rank  in  the  great  galaxy  of  Sitty- 
ton bulls.  His  sire,  Grand  Duke  of  Gloster,  was 
considered  the  best  of  all  of  the  sons  of  Cham- 
pion of  England;  inheriting  in  a  remarkable 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK   OF    SITTYTON.  641 

degree  his  robust  constitution,  thrift  and  thick- 
ness of  flesh.  Unfortunately  the  Grand  Duke 
met  with  an  accident  which  resulted  in  his 
death  as  a  two-year-old. 

Roan  Gauntlet. — The  mating  of  the  inbred 
Eoyal  Duke  of  Gloster  with  the  Champion  of 
England  cow  Princess  Royal  resulted  in  the 
production  in  1873  of  the  most  famous  of  all 
the  latter-day  Sittyton  stock  bulls,  Roan  Gaunt- 
let (35284).  A  glance  at  the  subjoined  tabula- 
tion will  be  of  interest: 

{  Champion  of  England 


{9th  Di 
ter,  by  Lord  Raglan 
I     (13244). 
(  Champion  of  England 

Uimulus.  JMistleto^bylord 

I.    Raglan  (13244). 

{Lancaster  Comet 
(11663). 
Virtue,  by  Plantaga- 
net  (11906). 


Q  '  Princess  Royal. 

(  The  Czar  (20947). 
Carmine.  <  Cressida, 

I   by  John  Bull  (11618). 

This  was  certainly  subjecting  the  Champion 
of  England  blood  to  a  searching  test,  and  as 
Roan  Gauntlet  proved  one  of  the  greatest  sires 
of  his  day  Mr.  Cruickshank's  judgment  found  in 
his  case  ample  vindication.  Some  of  the  objec- 
tionable features  of  old  Lancaster  Comet's  head 
were  visible  in  Roan  Gauntlet,  but  the  out- 
standing excellence  of  his  progeny  furnished 
fresh  proof  of  the  fact  that  it  is  a  mistake  to 
discard  an  otherwise  remarkable  bull  for  a 

41 


642         A    HISTORY    OF  SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

minor  defect  of  that  nature.  Among  other  ex- 
traordinary animals  begotten  by  Roan  Gaunt- 
let may  be  named  the  renowned  Field  Marshal 
(47870)— the  sire  of  Mario  (51713)— and  the 
good  stock  bull  Baron  Violet  (47444),  used  at 
Sittyton. 

Barmpton.— Whatever  may  be  the  relative 
rank  assigned  to  the  latter-day  Cruickshank 
bulls  in  their  own  country  American  breeders 
will  always  set  a  high  value  upon  the  red 
Barmpton  (37763).  He  was  another  son  of 
Royal  Duke  of  Gloster  that  was  dropped  in  1875 
by  the  good  cow  Barmpton's  Flower  (of  the 
Towneley  Butterfly  line),  a  daughter  of  Allan 
(21172),  son  of  the  great  Forth.  If  Barmpton 
had  done  nothing  more  than  sire  Baron  Victor 
(45944),  so  celebrated  in  the  Linwood  Herd  of 
Col.  W.  A.  Harris  of  Kansas,  he  would  still  be 
entitled  to  the  recognition  here  accorded. 

Cumberland.— One  of  the  bulls  most  exten- 
sively used  after  Roan  Gauntlet  was  Cumber- 
land (46144),  a  massive  roan  that  was  calved  in 
1880  and  maintained  steadily  in  service  for  a 
period  of  eight  years.  He  was  described  as 
"short  in  the  leg,  deep  and  long  in  the  body, 
with  an  excellent  head,  full,  wide  chest,  well- 
laid  shoulders,  strong  loins,  well-sprung  ribs, 
with  such  a  cover  of  lean  flesh  as  is  rarely  met 
with."  As  will  be  observed  from  the  following 
tabulation  Cumberland's  dam,  the  fine  cow 


AMOS    CRUICKSHANK   OF   SITTYTON.  643 

Custard  of  the  Clipper  tribe,  was  own  sister  in 
blood  to  Roan  Gauntlet,  so  that  his  selection 
for  service  resulted  in  still  further  intensifying 
Mr.  Cruickshank's  favorite  blood: 

f  Scotland's  Pride  (25100).    j 

( Pride  of  the    !  I  Lovely  8th. 

Q        Isles  (35072).  I 

|j  UddenDays.  \  ^rW  ^^ 

f  Grand  Duke  of  Gloster 


Custard. 


R°yai  D  G1°Ster 


,u 

I  Mimulus, 


•}  by  Champion  of  England. 


I  by  Champion  of  England. 

(Champion  of  England 
Carmine/5*0' 
by  The  Czar  (20947). 

There  is  not  in  Short-horn  history  a  record 
of  greater  success  attained  in  the  production  of 
valuable  cattle  for  practical  farm  and  feed-lot 
purposes  than  that  which  attended  the  breed- 
ing operations  at  Sittyton  after  the  practice  of 
using  only  home-bred  bulls  was  adopted.  The 
herd  began  at  once  to  take  on  a  uniform- 
ity in  essential  points  which  it  had  not  hith- 
erto possessed,  and  the  further  the  concentra- 
tion of  blood  was  carried  —  up  to  a  certain 
point  —  the  better  the  results.  The  fruit  of  Mr. 
Cruickshank's  appeal  to  the  practice  of  inbreed- 
ing was  the  establishment  of  a  well-fixed  type 
of  short-legged,  broad-ribbed,  thick-fleshed  cat- 
tle feeding  to  satisfactory  weights  at  an  early 
age;  and  the  same  concentration  of  blood  that 
served  to  fix  these  desirable  characteristics  in- 


644        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

sured  the  prepotency  of  the  stock  for  reproduc- 
tive purposes.  The  herd  became  the  fountain 
head  of  Short-horn  breeding  in  the  North.  The 
Sittyton  bulls  became  the  standard  sires  of 
Scotland.  The  value  of  the  service  the  Messrs. 
Cruickshank  had  rendered  was  now  universally 
conceded  in  their  native  land  and  leading 
American  breeders  gladly  availed  themselves 
of  the  privilege  of  selecting  stock  bulls  from 
this  premier  Aberdeenshire  herd. 

The  closing  years  at  Sittyton  will  form  the 
subject  of  further  reference. 


CHAPTER    XX. 


OTHER  NORTH  COUNTRY  HERDS. 

The  constructive  work  carried  out  to  such 
extraordinary  success  at  Sittyton  was  destined 
to  exert  an  influence  over  the  breed  on  both 
sides  the  Atlantic  as  far-reaching  as  it  was 
beneficent.  There  were  none  to  dispute  the 
supremacy  of  Sittyton  in  the  North.  It  was 
the  source  from  whence  nearly  all  the  breeders 
of  Aberdeenshire  and  adjacent  counties  drew 
their  best  material  as  weil  as  their  inspiration. 
While  Amos  Cruickshank  must  therefore  be 
called  the  real  leader  of  the  line  of  Short-horn 
progression  in  Scotland,  passing  notice  should 
be  taken  of  the  work  of  some  of  his  contem- 
poraries. 

To  review  the  operations  in  detail  of  all 
those  who  contributed  largely  to  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  Short-horn  interest  in  the  North 
would  require  more  space  than  can  here  be 
given.  Indeed,  we  cannot  undertake  to  list  in 
full  their  names.  Coates'  Herd  Book  must  be 
consulted  by  those  who  wish  to  delve  deeply 
into  the  subject.  We  should,  however,  give  a 
place  in  this  record  to  the  names  of  Gen.  Sim- 

(645) 


646        A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

son  of  Fifeshire,  Douglas  of  Athelstaneford, 
Barclay  of  Keavil,  the  Duke  of  Richmond,  the 
Earl  of  Montrose,  Lord  Lovat  of  Beaufort,  Sir 
William  Sterling  Maxwell  of  Kier,  Longmore 
of  Rettie,  Mark  Stewart  of  South  wick,  the 
Bruces  of  Inverquhomery  and  Burnside,  Syme 
of  Red  Kirk,  Mitchell  of  Alloa,  Sylvester  Camp- 
bell of  Kinellar,  William  S.  Man*  of  Uppermill, 
John  W.  and  Edward  Cruickshank  of  Lethenty, 
and  Duthie  of  Collynie.  While  we  need  not 
undertake  a  detailed  account  of  the  opera- 
tions of  these  and  other  leading  breeders  of 
that  time  it  seems  essential  to  a  correct  under- 
standing of  the  career  of  the  Scotch-bred  Short- 
horns in  America  that  some  facts  be  furnished 
relating  especially  to  the  herds  at  Athelstane- 
ford, Kinellar,  Uppermill,  Lethenty  and  Col- 
lynie. 

Douglas  of  Athelstaneford, — A  herd  that 
was  in  every  way  worthy  of  the  district  that 
had  been  the  home  of  Rennie  of  Phantassie 
was  begun  about  1842  by  Mr.  James  Douglas, 
an  enterprising  tenant  farmer  at  Athelstane- 
ford (locally  called  "Elshinford")  in  East  Lo- 
thian. Douglas  was  ambitious  from  the  first 
for  show-yard  honors,  and  as  a  competitor  at 
the  great  exhibitions  of  the  United  Kingdom, 
as  well  as  at  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1856,  he 
met  with  a  brimming  measure  of  success.  The 
herd  was  begun  about  1842,  but  it  was  not  un- 


OTHER    NORTH    COUNTRY    HERDS.  647 

til  the  Newcastle  Royal  of  1846  that  he  made 
notable  purchases.  The  famous  show  bull 
Belleville  (6778)  was  then  at  the  height  of  his 
reputation,  and  several  of  his  daughters  were 
purchased.  One  of  these,  the  roan  Queen  of 
Trumps,  bred  by  Mr.  Unthank,  was  one  of  the 
greatest  prize-winners  of  her  time.  She  was 
bought  for  shipment  to  America  at  a  high  price 
by  Mr.  Barrett  of  Kentucky,  but  was  lost  at 
sea. 

in  1852  a  sale  was  made  which  included 
practically  the  entire  original  herd.  Reserva- 
tion was  made,  however,  of  the  celebrated 
Mantalini  show  cow  Rose  of  Summer,  by  Vel- 
vet Jacket  (10998),  Scottish  Blue  Belle  and  a 
few  others  of  special  excellence.  At  this  sale 
Rose  of  Summer's  dam,  Rose  of  Autumn,  to- 
gether with  Brenda  (then  carrying  Lord  Rag- 
lan, by  Crusade)  were  bought  by  Mark  Stewart 
of  Southwick.  Subsequently  Lord  Raglan  was 
bought  back,  together  with  Rose  of  Sharon, 
a  daughter  of  Rose  of  Autumn,  and  the  four 
fine  heifers  Hawthorne  Blossom,  Heather  Belle, 
Cherry  Queen  and  Imperial  Cherry,  a  quar- 
tette that  cost  600  guineas.  Prior  to  the  sale 
the  Athelstaneford  cattle  had  won  some  sixty 
prizes  at  leading  shows,  and  the  second  herd, 
with  Rose  of  Summer  and  Scottish  Blue  Belle 
as  its  trump  cards,  inaugurated  another  cam- 
paign that  was  even  more  successful.  Scot- 


648         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

tish  Blue  Belle  was  ultimately  sold  to  Mr.  R. 
G.  Corwine  of  Lebanon,  0.,  and  brought  to  the 
United  States.  Killerby  and  Warlaby  were 
then  drawn  upon  for  females.  The  sum  of  500 
guineas  was  offered  Richard  Booth  in  vain  for 
Charity,  and  a  550-guinea  bid  for  Nectarine 
Blossom  was  also  declined.  Mr.  Douglas  se- 
cured, nevertheless,  Birthright,  a  granddaugh- 
ter of  Bracelet,  Isabella  Hopewell  and  Venus 
de  Medicis. 

Douglas  scored  a  great  success  with  the  roan 
bull  Captain  Balco  (12546)  of  Ambler's  breed- 
ing. He  stood  next  to  Towneley's  undefeated 
Master  Butterfly  at  the  Royal  Dublin,  and  after 
being  used  for  a  time  in  the  herd  was  sold 
along  with  Hawthorne  Blossom  and  a  lot  ag- 
gregating some  twenty  head  to  the  Shakers  of 
Ohio.  The  Booth-bred  bull  Hymen  (13058),  of 
Bolderi's  breeding,  out  of  Bridecake,  was  next 
bought  and  fitted  as  a  member  of  the  herd  sent 
for  exhibition  at  Paris  in  1856,  at  which  **how 
he  was  sold  to  M.  de  Trehonnais  for  200  guin- 
eas. Bates  blood  was  acquired  by  the  pur- 
chase of  the  cow  Playful,  by  4th  Duke  of  York. 
Some  of  Troutbeck's  Gwynnes  were  also  se- 
cured. A  son  of  Captain  Balco,  called  Sir 
James  the  Rose  (15290),  out  of  Rose  of  Summer, 
succeeded  his  sire  at  the  head  of  the  herd  and 
proved  a  capital  stock-getter.  Rose  of  Sum- 
mer and  her  descendants  were  of  a  remarkably 


OTHER   NORTH    COUNTRY   HERDS.  649 

thick-fleshed,  neat-boned,  blocky,  short-legged, 
squarely-built  sort;  and  such  cattle  as  Rose  of 
Athelstane,  Maid  of  Athelstane,  Lady  of  Athel- 
stane,  Queen  of  Athelstane,  Pride  of  Athelstane 
and  Crown  Prince  of  Athelstane  constituted  a 
collection  that  has  rarely  been  excelled  in  any 
herd  on  either  side  the  water. 

In  1864  the  late  Hon.  David  Christie  of  Can- 
ada bought  and  imported  a  number  of  the  best 
cattle  of  the  Douglas  herd  and  they  exerted  a 
great  influence  for  good  on  this  side  the  At- 
lantic. We  believe  that  this  sale  to  Mr.  Chris- 
tie practically  closed  the  operations  of  Mr. 
Douglas  as  a  breeder  of  Short-horns.  Further 
reference  to  the  importation  just  mentioned 
will  be  made  in  a  subsequent  chapter. 

Campbell  of  Kinellar. — Although  not  one 
of  the  earliest  the  herd  of  the  late  Sylvester 
Campbell  was  one  of  the  best  in  Aberdeenshire. 
Founded  in  the  year  1847  by  the  purchase  of  a 
pair  of  heifer  calves  at  Barclay  of  Ury's  sale, 
one  costing  20  guineas  and  the  other  9,  the 
Campbell  herd  affords  a  striking  illustration  of 
what  an  intelligent  farmer  can  accomplish 
from  a  modest  beginning.  Situated  about  nine 
miles  northwest  of  the  city  of  Aberdeen,  located 
in  a  district  noted  for  its  fine  farms  and  known 
locally  as  "the  How;e  of  the  Garioch,"  the  farm 
of  Kinellar,  of  which  Mr.  Campbell  was  tenant, 
lies  in  the  valley  of  the  River  Don.  Jamieson 


650        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

says:  "The  scenery  here  is  picturesque  and 
beautiful.  The  winding  river,  a  fine  salmon 
stream,  is  flanked  by  wooded  heights,  with 
some  handsome  villas  nestling  here  and  there 
among  the  trees.  At  times  the  valley  narrows 
between  rugged  woody  banks  and  then  widens 
out  again  into  broad,  fertile  meadows — haughs, 
as  they  are  called  in  Scotland — where  the  fat 
sheep  browse  and  the  cattle  doze  away  their 
time  in  sleepy  satisfaction  among  the  butter- 
cups and  clover.  A  sweet  spot  it  is  in  sunny 
days  of  June  when  the  sky  is  without  a  cloud 
and  the  skylarks  are  fluttering  and  singing 
over  the  grassy  fields.  The  farm  lies  among 
the  banks  and  braes  that  slope  up  from  the 
river  and  consists  for  the  most  part  of  good 
loamy  soil,  laid  off  in  square  fields,  inclosed  by 
massive  stone  dykes." 

The  foundation  heifers  above  mentioned  were 
both  sired  by  The  Pacha  (7612) — the  grandson 
of  Mason's  Lady  Sarah  heretofore  referred  to— 
and  were  known  as  Isabella  and  Susannah. 
From  the  20-guinea  heifer,  Isabella,  Mr.  Camp- 
bell derived  two  good  families,  known  as  the 
Urys  and  Clarets.  He  seems  to  have  proceeded 
leisurely  in  his  cattle-breeding  and  at  first 
bred  his  cows  and  heifers  to  sires  in  service  on 
neighboring  farms,  among  them  being  Fairfax 
Hero  (9106),  Vice-President  (11002)  and  Unri- 
valed (13926)— all  bred  at  Sittyton  and  two  of 


OTHER    NORTH    COUNTRY    HERDS.  651 

them  sons  of  that  capital  bull  Fairfax  Royal 
(6987).  In  1854  he  bought  from  Mr.  Whitehead 
of  Little  Methlick  the  cow  Crocus,  a  grand- 
daughter of  a  Pacha  heifer  that  had  been 
bought  at  Ury  in  1847. 

The  Nonpareils,  Miss  Ramsdens  and  Golden 
Drops. — The  big,  massive  Thalia  came  to  Kinel- 
lar  in  1857  from  Longmore  of  Rettie  and  a  few 
years  later  Nonpareil  24th,  by  Lord  Sackville, 
was  got  from  the  Messrs.  Cruickshank.  From 
the  latter  came  the  famous  Kinellar  Nonpareils. 
The  original  cow  of  this  tribe  had  been  brought 
to  Scotland  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Cartwright  of 
Tathwoll  on  the  Lincolnshire  wolds,  in  whose 
hands  the  sort  had  been  greatly  esteemed.  In- 
deed, the  first  Nonpareil,  a  roan  cow  sired  by 
the  white  bull  Tathwell  Studley  (5401),  carry- 
ing considerable  infusions  of  the  blood  of  the 
$5,000  Comet,  proved  useful  until  seventeen 
years  of  age.  Another  one  of  the  Kinellar  ma- 
trons was  Miss  Ramsden,  bred  by  Sir  J.  Rams- 
den,  and  taken  to  Scotland  by  Mr.  Jopp,  from 
whom  she  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Campbell. 
Another  cow  that  proved  a  good  investment 
was  Maid  of  Promise,  obtained  from  Mr.  Benton 
in  Alford.  From  her  was  descended  probably 
the  best  cow  ever  seen  in  the  Kinellar  pastures, 
Maid  of  Promise  6th,  that  won  the  challenge 
cup  at  Aberdeen  some  years  ago  as  the  best 
Short-horn  of  either  sex  on  exhibition.  Thes- 


652        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

salonica,  that  gave  rise  to  the  beautiful  Kinellar 
Golden  Drops,  was  dropped  by  Jewess,  a  cow 
bought  from  Mr.  Harvey  of  Tillygreig,  in  calf 
to  Duke  of  Clarence  (9040),  a  fine  white  bull 
bred  by  Wetherell  and  illustrated  in  the  eighth 
volume  of  Coates'  Herd  Book.  Another  pur- 
chase that  proved  fruitful  was  the  cow  Ruby 
Hill,  by  Elphinstone  (14492),  that  was  bred  by 
Messrs.  Smith,  Billhead  of  Nairn. 

Early  Kinellar  sires. — For  some  years  the 
herd  of  Messrs.  Cruickshank  was  resorted  to  for 
sires.  Mr.  Campbell  was  remarkably  fortunate, 
or,  perhaps  we  should  say,  exercised  extraor- 
dinary judgment  in  selecting  young  bulls 
at  Sittyton.  Mosstrooper  (11827),  Beeswing 
(12456),  Scarlet  Velvet  (16916),  and  Diphthong 
(17681)  proved  exceptional  stock-getters.  The 
two  latter  were  sent  into  the  leading  show- 
yards  of  the  North  in  1862  and  1863  and  over- 
came all  opposition.  Indeed,  the  use  and  ex- 
hibition of  these  bulls  was  an  important  factor 
in  building  up  the  reputation  of  the  Sittyton 
stock.  Of  Cruickshank  breeding  also  was  the 
handsome  bull  known  as  The  Garioch  Boy 
(15384),  bought  by  Mr.  Campbell  at  a  high 
price,  but  lost  soon  afterward.  Beeswing  was 
a  red,  sired  by  Matadore  (11800),  tracing  on  the 
dam's  side  through  Venus  and  Dairymaid  to 
the  stock  of  Rennie  of  Phantassie.  He  left  at 
Kinellar  a  lot  of  useful,  deep-bodied  cows;  and 


OTHER  NORTH  COUNTRY  HERDS.      653 

when  these  were  crossed  with  the  stylish  show 
bull  Scarlet  Velvet  the  progeny  proved  among 
the  best  Short-horns  of  their  clay.  Scarlet  Vel- 
vet was  a  red,  sired  by  The  Baron  (13833)  out 
of  Verdure  by  Plantagenet  (11906),  running  to 
the  cow  Tranquil  by  Barclay's  Billy  (3151).  He 
was  sold  to  go  into  Morayshire.  Diphthong 
another  red  "with  a  curious  mark  like  a  tape- 
line  around  his  left  fore  ribs,"  was  a  thick,  good 
bull  by  Lord  Stanley  (16454)  out  of  a  daughter 
of  Fancy,  also  by  Billy  (3151),  and  had  a  bril- 
liant career  at  the  Scottish  national  shows. 

Booth  cross  disappointing.— So  great  had 
been  the  success  of  the  use  of  these  Sittyton 
bulls  that  Kinellar  began  to  take  rank  as  a 
rival  of  the  Cruickshank  herd  itself,  then  the 
most  famous  in  all  Scotland,  and  Campbell 
thought  to  emphasize  his  independence  by 
turning  elsewhere  for  his  herd  bulls.  From 
1863  to  1877  he  went  South  for  his  sires  and 
bought  bulls  largely  of  Booth  blood.  Probably 
the  most  noted  of  these  was  Prince  of  Worces- 
ter (20597),  that  had  been  a  Royal  winner  as  a 
yearling  and  a  champion  as  an  aged  bull  at 
Aberdeen.  He  also  had  Sir  Christopher  (22895), 
bred  by  Richard  Booth,  but  notwithstanding 
the  enterprise  he  had  displayed  in  this  regard 
the  results  were  disappointing,  and  in  the  later 
years  of  his  breeding  operations  he  returned  to 
his  first  love  and  in  large  measure  restored  the 


654        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

usefulness  of  his  stock  by  breeding  from  such 
Cruickshank  bulls  as  Vermont  and  Gravesend. 
The  latter  in  particular  did  excellent  service, 
acquiring  distinction  as  a  heifer  getter,  and  af- 
terward passed  into  the  possession  of  William 
Duthie  of  Collynie. 

Mr.  Campbell  died  in  1891,  and  the  herd  was 
finally  dispersed  in  1897.  The  proprietor  had 
been  highly  respected  throughout  the  entire 
North  Country  and  the  sale  drew  out  a  large 
attendance.  Although  prices  at  that  time 
were  not  at  their  present  range,  the  heifers  by 
Gravesend  and  Royal  James  were  greatly  ad- 
mired and  averaged  over  £42  each.  Lord  Rose- 
berry,  Mr.  Duthie  and  Fletcher  of  Rosehaugh 
bought  a  number  of  the  best  lots.  A  few  went 
into  Yorkshire,  and  the  bull  Royal  James  to 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Duthie  says:  "The  Kinellar  cat- 
tle were  noted  for  their  substance,  and  the 
cows  generally  were  heavy  milkers." 

The  Kinellar  Short-horns  are  best  known  in 
America  through  the  fine  family  of  Golden 
Drops,  descending  from  the  cow  Thessalonica 
above  mentioned.  The  sort  was  introduced  on 
this  side  by  Messrs.  Geo.  Isaac  and  J.  S.  Thomp- 
son of  Canada.  In  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Avery 
&  Murphy,  Col.  Holloway,  Messrs.  A.  H.  &  I.  B. 
Day  and  others  they  sold  at  strong  prices  and 
made  an  enviable  show-yard  and  breeding  rec- 
ord. Subsequently  they  acquired  additional 


OTHER   NORTH   COUNTRY   HERDS.  655 

fame  as  perhaps  the  best  family  in  the  Linwood 
herd  of  Col.  W.  A.  Harris.  Some  of  the  Miss 
Ramsdens  and  Nonpareils  were  also  imported 
into  the  West  and  proved  good  breeders  as 
well  as  successful  show  animals. 

Marr  of  Uppermill.— The  late  William  S. 
Marr,  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  all  the  Aber- ' 
deen shire  breeders  of  Short-horns,  entered 
upon  the  farm  of  Uppermill  in  1833.  It  is  sit- 
uated in  the  same  district  as  Sittyton,  Shethin, 
Colly nie  and  other  noted  nurseries  of  North 
Country  stock.  Mr.  Marr  was  twenty-two  years 
of  age  at  the  time  he  took  the  lease  of  Upper- 
mill,  which  was  at  that  time  in  a  very  rough 
state.  Much  of  the  kind  had  to  be  reclaimed 
at  great  expense,  and  it  was  not  until  about 
1851  that  he  was  able  to  turn  his  attention  to 
Short-horns.  His  first  purchases  were  made  in 
the  North  of  England,  but  with  .one  notable 
exception  the  original  investment  proved  alto- 
gether unsatisfactory;  the  cattle  doing  no  good 
under  the  conditions  to  which  they  were  sub- 
jected in  their  new  home. 

The  Maudes. — The  ancestress  of  this  Upper- 
mill  tribe  was  the  fine  cow  Maude  that  consti- 
tuted the  exception  just  mentioned.  She  be- 
longed to  a  family  that  had  been  bred  by  Mr. 
Thomas  Chrisp  of  Northumberland,  who  had 
obtained  the  sort  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Jopling. 


656         A   HISTORY   OF  SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

The  foundation  dam,  Duchess  of  St.  Albans, 
had  a  double  cross  of  the  Princess  bull  St.  Al- 
bans (2584).  The  present  proprietor  at  Upper- 
mill  says:  "My  father  used  to  tell  me  that 
Maude  was  a  very  tine  cow  and  a  grand 
milker/'  Crossed  with  such  bulls  as  Heir  of 
"Englishman  (24122)  and  Cherub  4th  (33359), 
both  of  Lord  Sudeley's  Seraphina  sort,  the 
Maudes  developed  into  one  of  the  strongest  of 
Mr.  Marr's  tribes. 

The  Missies. — This  celebrated  Scottish  fam- 
ily originated  in  the  hands  of  Capt.  Barclay  of 
Ury.  The  primal  cow  of  this  name  was  bred 
by  Mr.  A.  Morison  from  Countess  of  Ury  blood; 
and  was  obtained  by  Mr.  Marr  about  1854.  She 
was  considered  an  extraordinary  animal,  pos- 
sessing great  substance  and  wealth  of  flesh. 
The  earlier  Missies  were  sired  by  such  bulls  as 
Augustus  (15598),  Lord  of  Lome  (18258),  Young 
Pacha  (20457),  and  Macduff  (26773);  and  in 
later  years  the  sort  was  brought  to  a  high  de- 
gree of  perfection  by  the  use  of  Seraphina  and 
Sittyton  bulls.  The  tribe  not  only  proved  pro- 
lific, but  steadily  improved  in  merit  until  ac- 
knowledged on  both  sides  the  Atlantic  as  one 
of  the  best  of  all  Scotch  Short-horn  families. 
Indeed,  it  is  doubtful  if  any  other  one  sort  has 
done  more  for  the  good  of  the  breed  in  the 
North  of  Scotland,  or  has  produced  more  noted 
prize-winners.  During  the  "seventies"  the  late 


OTHER    NORTH    COUNTRY    HERDS.  657 

Mr.  Marr  showed  cattle  of  this  family  with 
great  success;  conspicuous  among  the  winners 
being  the  bull  Young  Englishman  (31113),  got 
by  Heir  of  Englishman  out  of  Missie  19th.  He 
was  calved  in  1871  and  was  first  and  champion 
at  the  leading  shows  for  three  successive  years, 
besides  leaving  many  good  sons  and  beautiful 
daughters  at  Uppermill,  In  recent  years  Moun- 
taineer (63027),  a  Missie  bull  of  Mr.  Marr's 
breeding,  was  shown  with  success  in  the  herd 
of  Messrs.  Wright  of  Lincolnshire,  Eng.  Mi- 
randa, in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Deane  Willis,  and 
the  Royal  champion  Marengo,  owned  by  Mr. 
Philo  L.  Mills  of  Nottinghamshire,  have  brought 
additional  honor  to  the  tribe.  Mr.  Duthie  has 
incorporated  the  sort  into  his  famous  herd  at 
Collynie,  and  such  cows  as  Missie  141st,  by 
William  of  Orange,  and  Missie  150th,  by  Daunt- 
less, now  at  Uppermill,  afford  capital  illustra- 
tion of  the  manner  in  which  the  blood  breeds 
on. 

The  Princess  Royals. — This  sort  and  the 
Missies  constitute  the  two  largest  families  now 
at  Uppermill,  there  being  about  twenty  females 
.  of  each.  The  Princess  Royals  trace  their  de- 
scent in  the  maternal  line  to  the  herd  of  Mr. 
Hay  of  Shethin.  They  have  responded  well  to 
the  use  of  Cruickshank  bulls,  displaying  good 
constitution,  great  wealth  of  flesh,  broad  ribs 
and  strong  loins.  Many  good  specimens  both 


658        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

of  the  Princess  Royals  and  the  Missies  have 
been  imported  to  the  United  States  and  Canada 
during  the  past 'twenty  years. 

The  Alexandrinas. — This  tribe  is  of  the 
same  origin  as  the  Sittyton  Crocus  sort,  both 
descending  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Morison  of 
Mountblairy,  Aberdeenshire,  who  obtained  the 
family  from  Grant  Duff.  The  Alexandrinas 
have  to  their  credit  the  production  of  the  fa- 
mous American  champion  show  bull  Gay  Mon- 
arch 92411.  The  family  came  into  the  posses- 
sion of  Mr.  Marr  about  1860. 

The  Roan  or  Red  Ladys.— About  1855  Mr. 
Marr  purchased  from  the  late  Mr.  Whitehead 
of  Little  Methlick,  Aberdeenshire,  a  cow  called 
Roan  Lady,  from  which  he  bred  a  heifer  by  the 
Kinellar  bull  Young  Pacha  called  Red  Lady. 
Descendants  of  these  cows  have  since  been 
known  at  Uppermill  as  Roan  or  Red  Ladys. 
They  have  been  distinguished,  as  a  rule,  for 
their  rich  colors,  good  Short-horn  character, 
fine  style  and  depth  of  flesh.  Representatives 
of  this  sort  have  several  times  topped  the  Up- 
permill young  bulls.  Indeed,  at  the  sale  held 
this  year  (1899)  the  best  price,  270  guineas,  was 
paid  by  Mr.  Mills  for  Royal  Fame  from  Roan 
•Lady  14th — a  fine  old  cow,  still  useful  at  the 
age  of  fourteen  years. 

The  Bessies. — This  tribe  came  to  Uppermill 
in  1862  and,  like  the  Roan  Ladys,  was  acquired 


OTHER   NORTH   COUNTRY   HERDS.  659 

by  purchase  from  Mr.  Whitehead.  The  latter 
had  obtained  the  blood  from  Barclay  of  Ury. 
It  is  one  of  several  valuable  Scottish  sorts  trac- 
ing in  the  maternal  line  to  Mary  Anne,  by 
Sillery.  The  Bessies  are  now  well  known  in 
connection  with  the  champion  show  bull  Sign 
of  Riches  (60324),  sold  in  1898  for  export  to 
South  America  and  called  by  many  good  judges 
the  best  Short-horn  bull  in  Great  Britain  at  the 
time  of  his  exportation.  He  was  a  bull  of  ex- 
traordinary depth  and  wealth  of  flesh  that 
overcame  all  opposition  not  only  at  the  High- 
land show  but  at  the  Koyal  Dublin.  He  was 
sold  at  auction  in  Buenos  Aires  for  £650,  and 
one  of  his  sons  (Farrier)  was  recently  sold  in 
Argentine  by  the  Messrs.  Nelson  for  £1,300. 

The  Claras. — Mr.  Marr,  in  common  with 
nearly  all  of  the  other  Aberdeenshire  breeders, 
was  indebted  very  largely  to  the  Ury  blood  of 
Capt.  Barclay  for  his  foundation  stock.  In  ad- 
dition to  the  Ury  tribes  already  mentioned  he 
obtained  in  1860  from  Mr.  Shepherd  of  Shethin 
the  cow  Clara  10th,  descended  from  Clara  2d, 
by  The  Pacha,  bred  by  Barclay.  The  Claras 
are  recognized  in  the  North  of  Scotland  as  one 
of  the  soundest  of  the  old  local  sorts,  and  in 
1876  Clara  28th  of  this  line,  sired  by  Gold  Dig- 
ger (24044),  was  a  prominent  prize-winner. 
She  possessed  great  scale  and  rare  beauty  of 
conformation.  Several  specimens  of  this  fam- 


660         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

ily  have  been  imported  to  the  United  States 
and  Canada. 

The  Emmas. — This  family  came  to  Upper- 
mill  about  1870  through  the  cow  Emma  2d,  by 
Golden  Eagle  (26267).  She  carried  six  succes- 
sive crosses  of  bulls  bred  by  Mr.  Cruickshank, 
and  one  of  her  heifers,  bred  by  Mr.  Marr,  known 
as  Emma  3d,  was  imported  into  Illinois  in 
1876,  where  she  became  the  dam  of  the  cham- 
pion twin  heifers  Emma  4th  and  5th,  that  ac- 
quired so  much  celebrity  in  the  herd  of  Messrs 
Potts.  Indeed,  it  may  fairly  be  claimed  that 
the  exhibition  of  these  massive,  heavy-fleshed 
cows  contributed  largely  toward  building  up 
the  demand  for  Scotch-bred  Short-horns  that 
set  in  throughout  the  Western  States  about 
the  time  of  their  exhibition.  Another  noted 
animal  of  the  Emma  tribe  was  the  bull  Earl  of 
Mar  (47815),  imported  into  Canada  by  Francis 
Green.  He  was  a  roan  from  Emma  2d,  the 
matron  of  the  tribe  at  Uppermill 

The  Goldies. — The  original  Goldie  was  bred 
by  Messrs.  Smith  &  Co.  of  Inverness.  She  was 
a  remarkably  fine  specimen  of  the  breed,  hav- 
ing for  sire  the  Sittyton-bred  Goldsmith  (14632). 
She  came  to  Uppermill  about  1858,  where  she 
produced  in  1865  the  bull  Gold  Digger  that  was 
sold  to  the  late  Mr.  Duthie,  father  of  the  pres- 
ent William  Duthie  of  Collynie.  He  proved 
such  a  good  sire  that  he  was  bought  back  for 


OTHER    NORTH    COUNTRY    HERDS.  661 

Uppermill  and  rendered  valuable  service. 
Goldie  was  fed  for  exhibition  at  the  Smithfield 
Show  in  London,  where  she  was  a  prize-winner 
after  having  produced  four  calvss.  She  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  best  Short-horn  cows  of 
her  time,  and  some  of  the  best  of  all  the  Up- 
permill Short-horns  trace  descent  from  her.  A 
white  bull  calf  of  this  tribe,  called  The  White 
Knight,  has  recently  been  bought  by  Mr. 
Duthie  for  service  at  Collynie  at  140  guineas. 
He  was  sired  by  Wanderer  out  of  Goldie  35th. 

Sittyton  sorts.— In  addition  to  his  own  fam- 
ilies as  above  enumerated  Mr.  Marr  added  to 
the  herd  at  Uppermill  representatives  of  Mr. 
Cruickshank's  Butterfly  and  Duchess  of  Gloster 
tribes.  In  the  hands  of  Mr.  Marr  the  Butter- 
flys  have  been  known  as  Blythesomes.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  this  sort  was  obtained  by 
Mr.  Cruickshank  from  Capt.  Barclay.  The  first 
of  the  family  went  to  Uppermill  in  1880.  A 
Blythesome  bull  calf  recently  brought  220 
guineas  from  P.  L.  Mills  of  Ruddington  Hall. 
The  Duchesses  of  Gloster  at  Uppermill  are  de- 
rived from  Duchess  of  Gloster  35th,  bred  at 
Sittyton  in  1885. 

Early  Sires  at  Uppermill. — One  of  the  first 
bulls  bought  by  Mr.  Marr  was  Clarendon 
(14280),  a  red,  obtained  in  1856  from  the  old 
herd  at  Shethin.  He  was  always  thought  an 
extra  good  bull  and  a  rare  stock-getter.  He 


662        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

belonged  to  the  Princess  Royal  family.  An- 
other valuable  bull  obtained  from  Shethin  and 
placed  in  service  in  1859  was  the  beautiful  roan 
Lord  of  Lome  (18258),  sired  by  the  famous 
Cherry  Duke  2d  (14265),  and  tracing  on  the 
dam's  side  through  the  Lovely  line  afterward 
so  famous  at  Sittyton.  Lord  of  Lome  was  one 
of  the  most  potent  influences  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  original  herd.  Uppermill  early 
gave  its  adherence  to  Sittyton,  the  first  of  the 
Cruickshank  bulls  to  go  there  being  Lord  Sur- 
rey (20230)  and  Lord  Lyons  (22173).  The 
former  was  bought  in  1861  and  the  latter  in 
1864.  They  were  both  reds  and  both  proved 
satisfactory  sires.  Resort  was  next  had  to 
Kinellar.  Young  Pacha  (20457)  and  Prince 
Louis  (27158),  both  red,  were  obtained  from 
Mr.  Campbell.  The  former  left  some  good 
cows  and  heifers  and  Prince  Louis  proved  a 
tower  of  strength.  He  was  a  bull  of  great  sub- 
stance, very  thick  in  his  flesh  and  stood  near  to 
the  ground.  In  the  course  of  a  recent  letter  to 
the  author  the  younger  Mr.  Marr  says:  "I  be- 
lieve the  thickness  of  the  Uppermill  cattle  is 
to  this  day  partly  due  to  Prince  Louis."  It  is 
interesting  in  this  connection  to  note  that  his 
dam,  the  Cruickshank-bred  Nonpareil  24th,  was 
a  daughter  of  Lord  Sackville  (13349),  whose 
extraordinary  value  as  a  sire  was  not  suffi- 
ciently recognized  at  Sittyton.  Prince  Louis 


OTHER   NORTH   COUNTRY   HERDS.  663 

was  followed  by  the  first  home-bred  bull  to  be 
placed  in  service,  to-wit.:  Gold  Digger  (24044). 
As  already  mentioned  he  was  out  of  the  great 
cow  G oldie  and  was  used  for  a  time  by  the  late 
Mr.  Duthie.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  very 
grand  red  bull,  possessing  great  width  and 
depth.  One  branch  of  the  Missies  traces 
through  Missie  20th,  by  Gold  Digger.  He  was 
followed  by  the  Highland  Society's  prize  bull 
Macduff  (26773),  a  roan,  bred  by  Mr.  Bruce  of 
Broadland.  A  large  family  of  Missies  descend 
through  Missie  30th  by  this  bull. 

Heir  of  Englishman  (24122).— This  great 
show-yard  champion  was  bought  for  Upperrnill 
in  1869  at  four  years  of  age.  He  was  bred  by 
G.  11.  Barclay  of  Keavil,  Perthshire,  who  was 
also  the  breeder  of  the  famous  Baron  Booth  of 
Lancaster  7535,  so  celebrated  in  America.  The 
Heir  was  got  by  Englishman  (19701)  out  of  the 
handsome  cow  Seraphina  13th,  belonging  to 
Lord  Sudeley's  renowned  family  of  that  name. 
He  was  a  roan,  showing  pronounced  Short- 
horn character,  great  substance,  length,  qual- 
ity and  style,  and  was  a  leading  prize-winner 
at  all  the  National  shows  of  his  day,  including 
both  the  Royal  and  the  Highland.  Amos 
Cruickshank  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  his 
greatest  admirers,  and  remarked  to  Mr.  Marr 
that  the  bull's  head  and  eye  alone  were  worth 
the  price  paid  for  him.  Mr.  Marr  was  offered 


664        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

double  the  sum  given  for  the  bull  by  the  Sitty- 
ton  management.  Heir  of  Englishman  gave 
the  Upper  mill  herd  its  first  great  popularity. 
His  progeny  were  eagerly  sought  by  foreign 
buyers  and  were  easily  recognized  on  account 
of  their  singular  uniformity.  It  is  doubtful  if 
any  bull  ever  used  in  Aberdeenshire  left  a 
greater  impress  upon  North  Country  Short- 
horn breeding.  He  was  used  at  Uppermill  for 
seven  years. 

Young  Englishman  (31113),  a  red,  sired  by 
the  Heir  out  of  Missie  19th,  developed  into 
a  bull  of  great  thickness  and  succeeded  his  sire 
in  service.  He  proved  a  good  getter  as  well  as 
a  fine  show  bull,  and  Mr.  Marr  had  the  cour- 
age to  refuse  an  offer  of  £300  for  him,  which 
was  in  those  days  a  fabulous  price  for  a  Scotch- 
bred  Short-horn.  About  this  same  time  sev- 
eral other  home-bred  bulls  were  tested,  among 
others  Midshipman  (29372),  that  was  used  for  a 
year  and  then  sold  for  export  to  Australia  at  a 
long  price.  He  was  a  bull  of  remarkable  thick- 
ness, and  several  of  his  daughters  were  brought 
to  the  United  States  and  Canada. 

Cherub  4th  (83359).— The  Seraphina  blood 
as  evidenced  in  the  two  bulls  just  mentioned 
gave  such  eminent  satisfaction  at  Uppermill 
that  Mr.  Marr  next  purchased  the  roan  Cherub 
4th,  bred  by  Lord  Sudeley  and  sired  by  Manda- 
rin (29269)  out  of  Booth's  Seraphina  by  Baron 


OTHER    NORTH    COUNTRY    HERDS.  665 

Booth  (21212),  the  sire  of  Mr.  PickrelFs  Baron 
Booth  of  Lancaster.  Mandarin  was  a  white 
bull  with  roan  ears,  got  by  the  Bates-bred  2d 
Duke  of  Wetherby  (21618)  out  of  Seraphina 
15th;  so  that  Cherub  4th  was  an  inbred  Sera- 
phina carrying  a  Bates  as  well  as  a  Booth  cross. 
He  was  a  dark  roan  of  pronounced  substance 
and  quality  and  cost  200  guineas  at  twelve 
months  old.  He  was  a  capital  stock-getter  and 
his  bulls  made  the  highest  prices  obtained  by 
Mr.  Marr  in  the  old  days. 

Athabasca  (47359). — In  the  selection  and 
use  of  this  valuable  Cruickshank  bull  we  have 
an  admirable  illustration  of  the  advantage  pos- 
sessed by  Old  Country  breeders  in  the  matter 
of  disregarding  color  in  bulls  chosen  for  stock 
purposes.  Athabasca  was  a  white,  bred  at  Sit- 
tyton  from  the  prize  bull  Pride  of  the  Isles 
(35072)  out  of  Azalea  (dam  of  the  most  cele- 
brated of  all  latter-day  Cruickshank  bulls,  Field 
Marshal),  by  Caesar  Augustus  (25704).  He  was 
bought  in  1881  and  used  at  Uppermill  for  seven 
years  with  complete  success.  His  young  bulls 
were  in  keen  demand  and  his  heifers,  as  a  rule, 
were  of  a  refined  and  excellent  breeding 
type. 

Since  Athabasca's  time  none  but  Cruick- 
shank bulls  have  been  used  at  Uppermill.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Lord  Lavender  (54616),  by 
Cumberland  out  of  Lavender  15th. 


666         A   HISTORY   OF  SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

William  of  Orange  (50694).  —  This  great 
Cruickshank  bull  was  bought  at  Sittyton  as  a 
calf  in  1883.  He  was  a  red,  sired  by  Roan 
Gauntlet  out  of  Orange  Blossom  21st  by  Caesar 
Augustus,  and  was  retained  in  service  at  Up- 
permill  until  twelve  years  old.  His  record  as 
a  sire  is  a  source  of  pride  to  all  who  are  inter- 
ested in  the  fortunes  of  the  Aberdeenshire  cat- 
tle. He  was  a  red,  possessing  strong  individu- 
ality, wonderful  constitution,  a  grandly-spread 
and  admirably-covered  back,  and  extraordinary 
quality.  As  seen  at  Uppermill  by  the  writer 
in  1892  he  impressed  us  as  the  best  aged  bull 
of  the  breed  we  had  the  privilege  of  examining 
in  all  Britain,  and  his  progeny  were  almost 
without  exception  well  above  the  average  in 
merit.  Among  the  best  of  his  get  may  be  men- 
tioned Gay  Monarch  and  Master  of  the  Mint 
(both  brought  to  America),  Mountaineer  and 
the  dam  of^  Marengo.  His  daughters  have 
proved  mines  of  wealth  to  the  proprietors  of 
Uppermill. 

Later  Sittyton  sires  at  Uppermill. — After 
William  of  Orange  came  Sea  King  (61769),  a 
good  dark  roan  of  the  Spicy  family,  sired  by 
Gondomar  (55821)  out  of  Sea  Foam  by  Gondo- 
lier (52956),  tracing  to  Silvery  by  Champion  of 
England.  Then  came  Dauntless  (54155),  Cap- 
tain of  the  Guard  (58956)  and  Wanderer  (60138), 
the  latter  sire  of  the  330-guinea  bull  Scottish 


OTHER   NORTH   COUNTRY   HERDS.  667 

Champion,  sold  to  Mr.  Duthie.  Wanderer  is 
still  in  service  (1899)  at  eleven  years  of  age. 
The  Uppermill  young  bulls  have  been  sold  at 
public  auction  annually  since  1856.  Showing 
has  been  discontinued  since  about  1875. 

Mr.  Marr  Sr.  departed  this  life  a  few  years 
since  after  a  long  and  useful  career,  having 
contributed  largely  to  the  upbuilding  of  the 
reputation  which  the  Aberdeenshire  Short- 
horns have  attained  on  both  sides  the  Atlantic. 
His  son  William  S.  succeeded  to  the  owner- 
ship and  management  of  the  herd. 

Lethenty. — Mr.  Anthony  Cruickshank  had 
two  sons,  John  W.  and  Edward,  both  of  whom 
always  manifested  a  deep  interest  in  Short- 
horns. Upon  the  death  of  their  father  they  in- 
herited his  interests  in  the  Sittyton  herd,  which 
they  retained  until  its  final  dispersion.  In  ad- 
dition to  holding  this  interest  in  the  parent 
herd  the  brothers  undertook  at  Lethenty,  near 
Inverurie,  Aberdeenshire,  the  establishment  of 
a  partnership  herd.  The  foundation  of  the  herd 
was  laid  in  the  early  "seventies"  and  Booth 
blood  was  made  the  standard.  The  herd  at- 
tained considerable  proportions  and  was  bred 
with  a  good  degree  of  success  for  some  years, 
being  finally  dispersed  at  auction. 

After  the  sale  of  the  Booth  cattle  Mr.  Edward 
Cruickshank  founded  at  Lethenty  a  second 
herd,  drawing  part  of  his  material  from  Sitty- 


668        A   HISTORY   OF   SHOUT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ton  and  part  from  Longmore  of  Rettie.  As 
has  already  been  stated  the  Longmore  Short- 
horns ranked  among  the  best  ever  produced  in 
Scotland,  the  herd  dating  from  about  1838,  and 
at  the  time  Edward  Cruickshank  purchased  fe- 
males of  that  breeding  the  Rettie  stock  carried 
a  good  percentage  of  Sittyton  blood.  Edward 
had  an  idea  that  these  large-framed,  good -milk- 
ing cows  would  "nick"  well  with  Sittyton 
sires,  and,  as  the  question  of  fresh  blood  for 
the  parent  herd  wras  often  considered  by  Mr. 
Amos  Cruickshank,  it  was  agreed  between  Ed- 
ward and  his  uncle  that  the  proposition  of  the 
former  to  select  good  Longmore  cows  for  mat- 
ing with  Sittyton  bulls  was  likely  to  result  in 
success  and  perhaps  prove  the  means  of  pro- 
viding a  desirable  outcross  for  the  now  strong- 
ly-inbred Cruickshank  stock.  Five  of  these 
Longmore  cows  were  bought  at  the  Rettie  dis- 
persion of  1881,  consisting  of  three  daughters 
and  two  granddaughters  of  Lord  Forth  (26649), 
a  red  bull  bred  at  Sittyton  from  Forth  (17866) 
out  of  Autumn  Rose  by  Lord  Raglan.  The 
richly-fleshed,  low-standing  roan  bull  Perfec- 
tion (37185),  sired  by  Bridesman  (30586)  out  of 
Russian  Violet  by  Scotland's  Pride,  was  se- 
cured from  Sittyton  and  placed  in  service. 
This  bull  was  distinguished  for  his  quality  and 
even  distribution  of  thick  flesh,  and  crossed 
with  Longmore  cows  proved  a  distinct  success. 


OTHER   NORTH   COUNTRY   HERDS.  669 

He  was  followed  in  service  by  one  of  his  sons, 
Prince  Rufus  (51926),  descended  on  his  dam's 
side  from  the  Rettie  stock.  He  was  a  capital 
individual,  being  shown  with  success  as  a  calf, 
yearling  and  two-year-old.  About  1887  Edward 
Cruickshank  resolved  to  give  up  farming  and 
take  up  his  residence  in  England,  closing  out 
practically  the  entire  herd  at  private  sale  to 
the  Hon.  John  Dryden  of  Canada. 

Collynie,— The  herd  of  Mr.  William  Duthie, 
upon  whose  shoulders  the  mantle  of  the  late 
Amos  Cruickshank  seems  to  have  fallen,  occu- 
pies such  a  commanding  position  in  the  Scotch 
Short-horn  trade  at  the  present  time  that  it 
must  form  the  subject  of  further  reference  in  a 
subsequent  chapter.  As  its  foundations,  how- 
ever, date  back  to  about  the  year  1856  it  must 
be  included  in  this  connection  among  the  Aber- 
deenshire  stocks  contemporaneous  in  date  with 
the  herd  at  Sittyton. 

Mr.  Duthie's  father  was  a  near  neighbor  of 
Mr.  Cruickshank  and  kept  a  few  Short-horns  on 
the  farm  of  Collynie— one  of  the  Earl  of  Aber- 
deen's many  estates  in  that  vicinity — some  fifty 
years  since.  At  the  dispersion  sale  of  the  good 
herd  of  Mr.  Jonathan  Whitehead  of  Little 
Methlick,  in  1856,  he  purchased  the  foundation 
dams  of  three  tribes  that  are  still  to  be  found 
in  the  herd;  one  of  which  has  the  same  origin 
as  the  Roan  or  Red  Lady  tribe  at  Uppermill 


670         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

already  mentioned.  In  common  with  other 
Aberdeenshire  breeders  Mr.  Duthie  Sr.  sought 
at  all  times  cattle  of  the  useful,  practical  sort, 
and  long  before  the  Sittyton  dispersion  the  herd 
had  acquired  pronounced  merit  and  a  high  local 
reputation.  It  was  not,  however,  until  the 
present  proprietor,  Mr.  Wm.  Duthie,  made  his 
memorable  purchase  of  Sittyton  cattle  after 
Mr.  Amos  Cruickshank  gave  up  breeding,  that 
the  Collynie  Short-horn  became  an  important 
factor  on  both  sides  the  water.  As  American 
breeders  are  interested  more  particularly  in  the 
later  history  of  the  herd  comment  as  to  its 
character  is  reserved  until  the  subject  may  be 
reached  in  its  proper  order. 


§. 

If, 


<  "1 

SB-S^ 

O  '£  .» 


'CHAPTER    XXL 


RISE  OF  SCOTCH   POWER  IN  AMERICA. 

The  first  importations  of  Scotch-bred  Short- 
horns to  America  were  made  in  1854  and  1856 
by  the  Shakers  of  Union  Village,  Warren  Co., 
0.,  and  R.  G.  Corwine  of  Lebanon,  0.,  and  con- 
sisted of  some  thirty  head,  most  of  which  were 
bred  by  Douglas  of  Athelstaneford.  The  first 
of  the  North-of-Scotland  blood  was  brought  by 
the  Illinois  Importing  Co.,  in  1857,  from  the 
herd  of  Messrs.  Cruickshank  at  Sittyton;  and 
the  excellence  of  the  two  animals  representing 
that  blood  in  this  first  Western  importation  is 
amply  attested  by  the  fact  that  at  the  com- 
pany's sale  at  Springfield  the  pair — consisting 
of  the  bull  Defender  (12687),  by  Matadore 
(11800),  and  the  roan  Nonpareil  heifer  Lady 
Harriet — brought  $3,800  at  auction.  Notwith- 
standing this  early  introduction  of  Scotch  cat- 
tle, the  descendants  of  the  New  York,  Ohio  and 
Kentucky  importations  from  England,  as  we 
have  already  shown,  so  dominated  the  trade  in 
the  United  States  that  little  attention  was  paid 
for  many  years  to  the  operations  of  the  Scotch 
breeders. 

(671) 


672        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Early  importations  into  Ontario. — Although 
Canada  was  linked  with  the  mother-land  by 
many  ties  of  blood  and  interest  and  numbered 
in  her  rural  population  many  farmers  of  Scot- 
tish birth,  the  Dominion's  interest  in  the  North- 
Country  cattle  did  not  manifest  itself  in  any 
appreciable  degree  until  after  the  great  revival 
of  breeding  in  North  America  that  set  in  after 
the  close  of  the  Civil  War  in  the  States. 

During  the  period  extending  from  1854  to 
1861  Geo.  and  Win.  Miller  and  Simon  Beattie 
made  several  importations  from  the  herd  of 
Robert  Syme  of  Red  Kirk,  Dumfrieshire.  This 
was  a  sound  old  stock  of  good  local  repute  in 
the  south  of  Scotland,  and  some  of  the  most 
useful  of  the  Canadian  families  of  Short-horns 
trace  their  descent  from  these  purchases,  A 
very  noted  bull  of  Geo.  Miller's  importation 
was  Prince  of  Wales  50100,  a  showy  roan  that 
was  exhibited  extensively  in  Canada  and  the 
State  of  New  York  without  meeting  defeat. 
Mr.  William  Miller  of  Pickering,  Ontario,  im- 
ported cattle  of  Syme's  breeding  about  the  same 
dates;  some  of  the  original  selections  being 
made  by  his  son,  Mr.  Wm.  Miller  (later  of  Lake- 
side Farm,  Iowa),  then  a  young  man  making 
his  first  tour  of  the  old-country  herds  and  flocks. 
In  the  William  Miller  lot  was  the  bull  Red  Kirk 
(15138),  a  fine  roan  of  medium  size  that  was 
sold  for  service  in  the  State  of  New  York.  Mr. 


RISE    OF    SCOTCH    POWER   IN    AMERICA.        673 

Miller  describes  the  Red  Kirk  heifers  of  that 
day  as  among  the  best  to  be  found  in  all  Britain. 
In  1857  Messrs.  Armstrong  of  Markham  brought 
out  the  light-roan  bull  Fawkes  (14539),  of  Red 
Kirk  breeding,  a  remarkably  thick-fleshed,  sub- 
stantial bull  that  proved  a  grand  getter.  In 
1856  Mr.  Geo.  Roddick  of  Coburg  imported 
from  the  herd  of  Mark  Stewart,  Southwick, 
near  Dumfries,  the  heifer  Nonpareil  6th  in  calf 
to  Lord  Raglan  (13244)  and  the  young  bulls 
Brilliant  by  Baron  of  Ravensworth  (7811)  and 
Prince  Charlie  by  Lord  Raglan.  In  1861  Simon 
Beattie  imported  three  heifers  and  two  bulls  of 
the  Red  Kirk  blood,  and  in  1869  Wm.  Miller  of 
Pickering  brought  out  the  grand  roan  show 
heifer  Ruberta — bred  by  Messrs.  Game  of  Broad- 
moor,  Gloucestershire,  England — that  had  a 
successful  career  at  the  leading  Western  fairs 
of  the  early  "seventies."*  Along  with  Ruberta 

*  Some  facts  concerning  earlier  importations  into  Canada  from  England 
may  here  be  of  interest: 

One  of  the  first  importations  into  the  Dominion  was  that  of  Mr.  Row- 
land Wingfield,  who  brought  out  in  1833  and  in  1838  six  cows  and  heifers  and 
the  white  bull  Young  Farmer  62d.  Three  of  the  females,  Lilly,  by  Warden 
1563;  Dairymaid,  by  Warwick  (2815);  Pedigree,  by  Mynheer  (2345),  and  Cow- 
slip, by  Warwick  (2815),  were  purchased  by  Kentucky  breeders  and  taken 
to  that  State. 

About  this  same  date  Mr.  Adam  Fergusson  imported  the  cows  Beauty' 
by  Snowball  (2647),  and  Cherry,  by  a  son  of  St.  Albans  (2584),  together  with 
the  bull  Agricola  (1614).  The  latter  was  sold  to  go  to  New  York.  Beauty 
and  Cherry  were  both  roans  from  the  herd  of  James  Chrisp  of  Northumber- 
land, and  the  former  gave  rise  to  a  family  that  afterward  became  very  pop- 
ular at  Bow  Park  and  elsewhere.  In  1837  Thomas  Mairs  imported  the  roan 
bull  Holderness  and  the  cow  Strawberry.  Antedating  all  of  these  was  an 
importation  of  four  bulls  said  to  have  been  made  by  the  New  Brunswick 
Agricultural  Society,  three  of  which  were  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Wetherell- 

In  1845  Ralph  Wade  Sr.  of  Port  Hope,  Ont.,  imported  the  roan  cows  Ade- 
43 


674        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

came  the  heifer  Gola  and  bull  Fawsley  Chief 
10051,  both  of  Torr's  breeding. 

Notwithstanding  these  in  vestments  in  Scotch 
stock  the  English  type  of  Short-horns  con- 
tinued to  have  the  call  in  Canada,  as  well  as  on 
this  side  of  the  border,  for  many  years  follow- 
ing the  Syme  importations  mentioned.  Direct 

line,  Clarentine,  Fisher  Roan  and  Snowdrop,  and  the  bull  American  Belted 
Will  (12394),  mainly  of  Raine's  breeding.  Some  years  later  Mr.  Wade  also 
imported  a  white  cow,  Newham  Lily,  bred  by  Mason  Hopper  from  Belle 
ville  (6778),  and  the  roan  bull  Sir  Charles  Napier  (13712),  of  same  breeding 

From  1864  to  1856  F.  W.  Stone  of  Moreton  Lodge,  Guelph,  Ont.,  made  six 
importations,  aggregating  about  thirty-four  head.  Mr.  Stone's  purchases 
were  made  from  some  of  the  most  noted  herds  of  the  time  in  England,  in- 
cluding those  of  Jonas  Webb,  J.  S.  Tanqueray,  E.  Bowly,  Col.  Kingscote,  H. 
Ambler,  etc.  Included  in  these  shipments  were  the  bulls  John  o'  Gaunt  2d 
(13089),  Friar  John  (12905)  and  the  llth  and  13th  Dukes  of  Oxford,  the  latter 
sired  by  the  Bates  bull  6th  Duke  of  Oxford  (12765),  but  not  tracing  to  that 
tribe  on  dam's  side.  Among  the  cows  was  the  roan  Margaret,  by  Snowball 
8602,  of  Bowly's  breeding,  that  gave  rise  to  a  numerous  family  bearing  her 
name;  also  a  pair  of  Sanspareil  heifers,  Isabella  (Booth),  from  Bolden's, 
and  the  roan  Eugenie,  from  Ambler's,  sired  by  imp.  Grand  Turk  (12969). 
These  selections  proved  very  valuable  to  the  cattle  interests  of  Canada, 
and  Mr.  Stone  made  further  large  importations  from  England  from  1870  to 
1878. 

In  1860  Dr.  G.  H.  Phillips  of  Prescott  imported  five  heifers  and  two  bulls 
from  Ireland,  one  of  the  latter  being  Master  McHale  5943,  all  of  Booth 
blood.  In  1868  the  Quebec  Agricultural  Society  brought  out  the  two  heifers 
Statesman's  Daughter  2d  and  Princess,  bred  by  J.  Harward  of  Winterfold, 
and  the  bull  Oxford  Gwynne  12551,  bred  by  Chas.  Howard  of  Biddenham. 

In  1871  John  Snell  &  Sons  of  Edmonton  imported  the  roan  bull  British 
Baron  13557,  bred  by  Col.  Towneley,  and  in  1874  the  Booth-bred  Knight  of 
the  Rose  23646.  In  August,  1871,  R.  J.  Stanton  of  Thornhill  imported  five 
heifers  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Fawkes  of  Farneley  Hall,  and  the  bull  Baron 
Mild  Eyes  from  the  herd  of  Col.  Gunter.  A  second  shipment  was  made  by 
Mr.  Stanton  in  1874  of  three  heifers  from  the  Scotch  herds  of  Messrs.  J. 
Whyte,  J.  Gordon  and  R.  Binnie. 

Jno.  R.  Craig  of  Edmonton  imported  in  1874  the  red  heifer  Euphemiaand 
heifer  calf,  bred  by  R.  Stratton;  the  cow  Lady  LeMoor,  bred  by  T.  Maynard, 
and  the  roan  heifer  Waterloo  J.,  bred  by  Sir  W.  C.  Trevelyan  of  Northum- 
berland. In  1881  Mr.  Craig  received  from  the  famous  herd  of  Lord  Pol  worth 
of  Mertoun  House,  St.  Boswell's,  eleven  heifers  and  seven  bulls,  all  Booth- 
topped. 

Between  1874  and  1877  Mr.  Jno.  Hope  imported  for  account  of  Hon.  Geo. 
Brown  of  Bow  Park  a  large  number  of  English-bred  cattle,  mainly  of  Bates 


RISE   OF   SCOTCH   POWER   IN   AMERICA.       675 

importations  from  England  to  Ontario  were 
supplemented  by  purchases  of  stock  of  English 
descent  made  in  the  States. 

The  landing  of  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster  and 
Rosedale  on  Canadian  soil  by  Mr.  Cochrane  in 
1867,  followed  by  their  sale  and  triumphant 


blood,  although  his  first  shipment,  made  in  1874,  contained  several  Booths 
from  the  herd  of  Raymond  Bruere.  In  18T6  the  Canada  West  Farm  Stock 
Association,  reference  to  which  is  made  on  page  511,  made  heavy  importa- 
tions, chiefly  of  Bates  blood,  from  leading  English  herds. 

Between  1875  and  1880  Prof.  G.  Lawson  imported  some  twenty-five  head, 
representing  a  wide  range  of  English  blood,  for  the  Central  Board  of  Agri- 
culture of  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia. 

In  1876  Thomas  Boak  of  Milton  imported  the  roan  cow  Farewell  and  her 
bull  calf  from  the  herd  of  Robt.  Thompson  of  Inglewood,  whose  subse- 
quent successes  in  the  English  show-yard  with  the  great  Mollie  Millicent 
and  other  noted  prize  winners  gave  his  stock  great  celebrity.  Along  with 
this  Thompson  cow  came  the  roan  bull  Duke  of  Cumberland  (58590). 

In  1879  Wm.  Linton  of  Aurora,  received  from  the  Linton  herd  at  Sheriff 
Hutton,  Yorkshire,  England,  the  cow  Rachel,  heifer  calf  Sheriff  Hutton 
Rose  and  the  young  bull  British  Hero  (39506) ;  both  of  the  latter  sired  by  the 
famous  Sir  Arthur  Ingram  (32490).  In  1883  he  received  from  the  same  source 
the  cows  Snowdrop  and  Fame  2d. 

Between  1870  and  1881  Messrs,  J.  &  R.  Hunter  of  Alma,  made  several  im- 
portations of  Booth-bred  cattle  from  the  herds  of  Hugh  Aylmer  and  T.  E. 
Pawlett.  We  believe  they  also  imported  one  Cruickshank  heifer  in  the 
early  "  seventies,"  and  they  also  had  from  J.  Whyte  of  Aberdeenshire,  the 
Booth  bull  Knight  of  Warlaby  20163. 

In  1881  the  Government  of  St.  John's,  New  Brunswick,  imported  a  half- 
dozen  heifers  from  the  herds  of  Hugh  Aylmer  of  Norfolk,  and  T.  Marshall 
of  Annan,  Scotland,  together  with  the  bulls  Bellman  (44406)  and  Musketeer, 
bred  by  the  Messrs.  Mitchell  of  Alloa,  Scotland. 

From  1879  to  1883  W.  Murray  of  Chesterfield,  made  several  shipments 
from  England,  including  Grand  Duchess  of  Oxford  69th  and  5th  Duke  of 
Holker  (44687)  from  the  herd  of  the  Duke  of  Devonshire.  Mr.  Murray's  im- 
portations represented  the  best  Bates  tribes. 

.  Mr.  H.  Y.  Attrill,  a  capitalist  with  large  business  interests  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  and  the  owner  of  a  farm  at  Goderich,  Ontario,  imported 
in  1881  Grand  Duchesses  28th  and  35th,  bred  by  R.  E.  Oliver  of  Sholebroke 
Lodge,  and  the  roan  Bates  Duchess  bull  5th  Duke  of  Tregunter  (38743).  In 
1883  he  imported  two  Grand  Duchesses  of  Oxford,  one  Baroness  Oxford,  one 
Winsome  Wild  Eyes  and  a  Barrington  from  the  herd  of  the  Duke  of  Devon- 
shire. 

Richard  Gibson  made  extensive  Importations  of  Bates  cattle  from  1881 
to  1883,  most  of  which  were  sold  at  good  prices  to  breeders  in  the  States. 


676        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

career  in  the  show-yards  of  the  West,  forecasted 
trade  possibilities  which  the  Dominion  breed- 
ers were  quick  to  grasp.  The  commanding 
position  assumed  at  once  by  Hillhurst  has  al- 
ready been  indicated,  and  while  Mr.  Cochrane 
was  operating  in  the  deep  waters  of  the  Bates 
and  Booth  speculation  certain  of  his  contem- 
poraries in  the  province  of  Ontario  were  quietly 
sowing  the  seed  which  was  in  time  to  work  a 
revolution  in  the  Short-horn  standards  of  two 
continents. 

First  Sittyton  cattle  in  Canada. — The  earli- 
est importation  into  Canada  from  Sittyton  of 
which  we  find  record  was  a  small  shipment 
made  in  1859  or  1860  by  Mr.  Neil  McOillivray 
of  Williamstown,  consisting  of  the  jed  cow 
Honesty,  by  Procurator  (10657)  out  of  Fidelity 
by  Prince  Edward  Fairfax;  her  red  bull  calf 
Baronet,  sired  by  The  Baron  (13833);  the  roan 
cow  Model,  by  Matadore  (11800)  out  of  Bru- 
nette by  Prince  Edward  Fairfax;  and  the  roan 
bull  Royal  George  (16866),  by  Master  Butterfly 
2d  (14918)  out  of  Princess  Mary  by  The  Baron. 
These  were  accompanied  by  the  roan  heifer 
Nina,  of  Mark  Stewart's  breeding,  and  a  roan 
heifer  called  Souvenir,  bred  by  J.  Grundy  of 
The  Dales,  near  Manchester,  England. 

In  the  year  1867  Geo.  Isaac,  a  Scotchman 
who  had  settled  in  Canada  in  1842,  began  im- 
porting stock  from  the  herd  of  his  brother-in- 


RISE    OF    SCOTCH   POWER   IN   AMERICA.        677 

law,  Mr.  Campbell  of  Kinellar.  Mr.  Isaac's 
original  importation  consisted  of  the  two  red 
yearling  heifers  Isabella  and  Margaret  3d,  both 
sired  by  Diphthong  3d  (21547),  and  the  bull  calf 
Prince  Charlie  (27123).  This  shipment  was  fol- 
lowed three  years  later  by  a  larger  one  from  the 
same  source,  which  was  destined  to  have  a 
marked  influence  upon  the  American  trade.  It 
consisted  of  seven  heifers  and  the  two  yearling 
bulls  Statesman  15539,  a  red  roan  of  the  Non- 
pareil sort,  and  Wellington  15692.  Among 
the  heifers  were  Golden  Drop  2d  (carrying 
Golden  Drop  3d  by  Sir  Christopher),  Miss  Rams- 
den  3d  (carrying  Miss  Ramsden  4th),  and  Bloom 
3d,  in  calf  to  Sir  Christopher  (22895).  This  was 
the  first  of  the  celebrated  Golden  Drop  family 
brought  to  America,  and  the  subsequent  career 
of  that  excellent  Kinellar  tribe  in  the  West 
contributed  largely  to  building  the  Scotch 
Short-horn  fame  on  this  side  the  Atlantic. 
In  1872  Mr.  Isaac  supplemented  his  previous 
importations  from  Kinellar  by  the  purchase  of 
a  half-dozen  females  of  Mr.  Campbell's  breed- 
ing, together  with  the  roan  bull  Inker mann 
26863.  In  1874  George  Isaac's  son  John,  of 
Bowmanton,  commenced  his  long  series  of  im- 
portations of  Kinellar-bred  cattle* 

In  1870  Mr.  John  S.  Armstrong  of  Guelph 
began  with  cattle  drawn  from  the  herd  of  the 
late  Mr.  Marr  of  Uppermill.  The  initial  im- 


678        A    HISTORY    OP    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

portation  consisted  of  four  red  two-year-old 
heifers,  one  of  which,  Missie  23d,  belonged  to  a 
tribe  now  holding  high  rank  on  both  sides  the 
Atlantic.  In  1871  Mr.  Armstrong  imported  a 
red  yearling  heifer  of  Mr.  Cruickshank's  breed- 
ing— Lady  Florence,  tracing  to  Picotee — and  a 
red  yearling  heifer,  Golden  Bracelet,  from  Mr. 
Duthie's,  a  granddaughter  of  Velvet  by  Cham- 
pion of  England.  In  1873  Mr.  Armstrong  made 
a  large  shipment,  mainly  from  Uppermill,  a 
number  of  which  were  sired  by  Heir  of  English- 
man (24122).  These  cattle  met  with  a  favor- 
able reception  at  the  hands  of  the  Ontario 
farmers,  and  in  1876  Mr.  Armstrong  made  a 
further  importation  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  Marr. 
The  Athelstane  blood. — One  of  the  most 
valuable  importations  that  ever  crossed  the 
Atlantic  was  that  made  by  Hon.  David  Christie 
of  Paris,  Ontario,  in  August,  1864,  from  the  far- 
famed  herd  of  Douglas  of  Athelstaneford.  It 
included  the  great  four-year-old  cow  Queen  of 
Athelstane,  got  by  Sir  James  the  Rose  (15290) 
out  of  the  Bates-bred  Playful  by  4th  Duke  of 
York  (10167);  her  yearling  heifer  Princess  of 
Athelstane,  by  Watchman  (17216);  the  roan 
heifer  calf  Crown  Princess  of  Athelstane,  by 
Next  of  Kin  (20405);  the  red  three-year-old 
heifer  Pride  of  Athelstane,  by  Sir  James  the 
Rose  out  of  Lady  of  Athelstane  .by  the  prize 
bull  Hymen  (13058);  the  red  six-year-old  Pla- 


RISE   OF   SCOTCH   POWER   IN   AMERICA.        679 

cida,  by  Master  of  Athelstane  (14933),  and  her 
bull  calf  by  Knight  of  Athelstane  (20075),  and 
Queen  of  Athelstane's  roan  bull  calf,  Crown 
Prince  of  Athelstane  (21512).  As  stated  on 
page  649,  these  cattle  represented  some  of  the 
leading  show-yard  celebrities  of  their  time  in 
Great  Britain. 

In  1868  Mr.  Christie  brought  out  from  Eng- 
land the  red-and-white  Booth  bull  Knight  of 
St.  George  8472,  bred  by  Mr.  Carr  of  Yorkshire 
and  sired  by  Prince  of  the  Realm  (22627)  out  of 
Windsor's  Queen  by  Windsor  (14013).  Bred  to 
Crown  Princess  of  Athelstane,  Knight  of  St. 
George  sired  Crown  Prince  of  Athelstane  2d 
16585,  calved  in  1872,  that  was  sold  to  John 
Miller  and  James  I.  Davidson.  The  latter  bred 
him  to  some  of  his  best  Cruickshank  cows,  the 
cross  proving  one  of  the  greatest  "hits"  known 
in  the  American  Short-horn  trade.  The  Scotch 
cattle  bearing  this  cross,  in  the  hands  of  Messrs. 
Kissinger,  Wilhoit,  Potts  and  others  in  the  West- 
ern States,  were  distinguished  for  their  consti- 
tution, thrift  and  feeding  quality,  contributing 
some  of  the  most  successful  cattle  ever  pro- 
duced on  this  side  the  Atlantic. 

Cruickshank  cattle  at  the  shows. — Mr. 
Joseph  S.  Thompson  of  Mayfield,  Whitby,  On- 
tario, made  an  importation  by  the  ship  Euro- 
pean in  August,  1870,  that  fairly  entitled  him 
to  the  credit  of  having  first  brought  the  Sitty- 


680        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ton  cattle  into  that  prominence  which  they 
have  ever  since  held  in  this  country.  It  was 
this  memorable  shipment  that  brought  to  our 
shores  the  red  Champion  of  England  heifers 
Sylvia  (running  through  Lord  Sackville  to  the 
Secret  foundation)  and  Christabel,  tracing  to 
the  Kilmeny  base.  These  two  grand  specimens 
of  Amos  Cruickshank's  breeding  were  shown  as 
yearlings  at  the  Provincial  fair  held  in  Toronto 
the  year  of  their  importation,  coming  against 
JohivM.  Bell's  famous  roan  heifer  Empress, 
tracing  to  the  old  Red  Kirk  stock.  Three  bet- 
ter yearlings  have  probably  never  been  seen  in 
one  American  show-yard,  and  when  the  entries 
from  Sittyton  were  placed  first  and  second 
respectively  the  Cruickshank  cattle  at  once 
acquired  favorable  repute.  They  were  the  first 
specimens  of  that  breeding  exhibited  in  Can- 
ada, and  from  that  time  forward  a  large  con- 
tingent of  Dominion  breeders  never  wavered  in 
their  allegiance  to  the  Sittyton  stock.  The 
heifers  above  mentioned  were  bought  in  the 
fall  of  1870  by  the  late  Simon  Beattie  for  Col. 
Wm.  S.  King  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  and  in  the 
Western  States  they  made  many  fast  friends 
for  the  Aberdeenshire  blood.  Sylvia  developed 
into  an  1,800-lb.  cow  of  magnificent  substance 
and  flesh,  inheriting  much  of  the  extraordinary 
thickness  and  quality  of  her  sire,  and  at  the 
great  Jacobs  sale  at  West  Liberty,  la.,  in  1875 


RISE   OF   SCOTCH   POWER    IN  AMERICA.       681 

was  conceded  to  be  the  best  animal  offered, 
commanding  the  long  price  of  $2,500.  This, 
therefore,  was  the  real  beginning  of  a  wide- 
spread appreciation  of  the  Sittyton  cattle  in 
America,  although  it  was  many  years  before 
their  undoubted  merit  for  practical  purposes 
was  fully  recognized. 

Along  with  Sylvia  and  Christabel  came  the 
Sittyton  heifer  Butterfly's  Rose,  the  good  roan 
heifer  Minnie's  Annandale  (bred  by  Currie  of 
Hal kers ton,  near  Edinburgh),  the  Kinellar-bred 
heifers  Clementina  1st  and  2d,  and  the  roan 
Cruickshank  Orange  Blossom  bull  Grand  Duke 
of  Orange  (28762),  sired  by  Scotland's  Pride  out 
of  Orange  Blossom  4th  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land. 

Violet's  Forth. — The  enthusiasm  with  which 
the  Cruickshank  importation  above  mentioned 
was  received  in  Canada  and  the  West  induced 
Mr.  Thompson  to  make  a  larger  importation 
from  Scotland  the  following  year.  From  Sitty- 
ton he  obtained  one  of  the  best  cows  ever  sired 
by  the  grand  show  bull  Forth,  the  roan  Violet's 
Forth,  then  in  her  sixth  year,  safe  in  calf  to 
Caesar  Augustus.  Mr.  Cruickshank  parted  with 
this  cow  reluctantly,  but  her  subsequent  exhi- 
bition at  the  shows  of  the  Central  West,  follow- 
ing, as  it  did,  the  appearance  of  Sylvia  and 
Christabel,  enhanced  materially  American  ap- 
preciation of  his  efforts.  Violet's  Forth  was 


682         A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

sold  to  William  Stewart  of  Franklin  Grove,  I1L 
and  produced  the  bull  Champion  of  the  West 
13632,  afterward  sold  for  $1,000.  Stewart  sold 
the  cow  to  John  Haley  Spears  of  Menard  Co., 
111.,  one  of  the  great  showmen  of  his  time,  who 
exhibited  her  with  success  at  the  leading  West- 
ern fairs,  selling  her  at  auction  at  nine  years 
old  to  Mrs.  Kimberley  of  Iowa  at  $1,000. 

The  Golden  Drops. — Another  grand  Scotch 
cow  brought  out  by  Mr.  Thompson  was  Golden 
Drop  1st,  a  red -roan  of  same  age  as  Violet's 
Forth,  bred  by  Mr.  Campbell  of  Kinellar,  and 
sired  by  Prince  of  Worcester  (20597)  out  of 
Golden  Drop  by  Scarlet  Velvet.  Violet's  Forth 
had  decidedly  the  stronger  back  and  loin,  but 
in  other  respects  Golden  Drop  1st  was  her 
equal.  She  passed  into  possession  of  Messrs. 
John  Snell  &  Sons,  Edmonton,  Ont.,  but  like 
Sylvia  and  Violet's  Forth  she  was  sought  by  the 
enterprising  breeders  of  the  West.  At  SnelPs 
sale  of  1874  she  was  bought  by  Messrs.  A.  H.  & 
I.  B.  Day  of  Utica,  la.,  owners  of  one  of  the 
most  noted  show  herds  of  the  early  " seventies," 
at  $1,125,  and  in  their  hands  added  fresh  luster 
to  the  Aberdeenshire  fame  in  the  New  World. 
Her  red-roan  heifer  of  1871,  Golden  Drop  4th 
by  Sir  Christopher  (22895),  also  imported  by 
Mr.  Thompson,  possessed  much  of  her  mother's 
merit.  She  was  sold  to  Mr.  George  F.  Wastell 
of  Port  Huron,  Mich.  Mr.  Thompson  also  im- 


RISE    OF    SCOTCH    POWER   IN   AMERICA.        683 

ported  the  roan  Golden  Drop  6th,  sired  by  Sir 
Christopher  out  of  Bloom  4th  by  Prince  of 
Worcester. 

Thompson's  other  importations. — In  addi- 
tion to  the  valuable  cattle  above  mentioned, 
Mr.  Thompson's  importations  from  1870  to  1874 
included  the  Cruickshank-bred  cow  Village 
Bud,  a  roan  by  Scotland's  Pride,  and  her  daugh- 
ter Village  Blossom,  by  Ben  Wyvis  (30528).  Vil- 
lage Blossom  passed  into  the  possession  of  the 
Messrs.  Watt  of  Salem,  in  whose  hands  she  pro- 
duced the  most  celebrated  show  bull  of  recent 
years  in  North  America — Young  Abbottsburn 
110679.  Another  cow  of  the  Thompson  impor- 
tations that  left  a  valuable  progeny  was  the 
red-and- white  Raspberry,  bred  by  C.  Bruce  of 
Huntley,  Scotland,  got  by  the  noted  Kinellar 
sire  Prince  of  Worcester  (20597).  John  Collard 
of  Iowa  paid  $1,015  for  her  in  Canada  in  1874. 
There  was  also  obtained  at  Sittyton  Katharine 
by  Allan,  and  Finesse,  daughter  of  Finella  by 
Champion  of  England;  from  James  Currie  came 
Cowslip,  Minnie  Halkerston  and  a  pair  of  Crim- 
son Flowers,  along  with  several  good  bulls  from 
the  herds  of  Campbell,  Marr  and  the  Duke  of 
Buccleuch. 

In  1871  Mr.  H.  Thompson  imported  the  roan 
heifer  Lady  Cecil  from  the  herd  of  the  Duke  of 
Buccleuch,  the  roan  heifer  Stamford  8th  from 
Uppermill,  and  the  red  yearling  Butterfly  bull 


684        A   HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Breadalbane  (28073),  sired  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land, from  Sittyton.  In  1872  W.  Thompson  of 
Markham  imported  from  the  Cruickshank  herd 
the  red  heifer  Michigan  Casket,  by  Senator 
(27441)  out  of  Cactus  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land. 

John  Miller's  first  shipment. —  In  August, 
1870,  Mr.  John  Miller  of  Brougham,  son  of  Wil- 
liam Miller  Sr.  of  Markham  above  mentioned, 
made  his  first  importation;  bringing  out  the 
roan  Rose  of  Strathallan — a  cow  of  great  scale 
and  substance  that  had  been  a  prize-winner  in 
Scotland — bred  by  Lord  Strathallan  of  Perth, 
and  sired  by  Mr.  Cruickshank's  Allan  (21172). 
She  was  in  calf  at  the  time  to  the  Booth  bull 
Prowler  (22662),  and  dropped  to  that  service  the 
red  Lord  Strathallan  17591,  that  developed  into 
a  handsome  show  bull,  sold  to  Mr.  S.  F.  Lock- 
ridge  of  Greencastle,  Ind.,  at  $2,500  and  winner 
of  a  large  number  of  prizes  and  challenge  cups 
both  in  Canada  and  the  States.*  In  this  same 
importation  were  a  number  of  English-bred 

*  Mr.  Lockridge  says  of  this  bull:  "  Lord  Strathallan  was  a  nearly  solid 
red,  not  a  dark  red,  but  what  might  be  called  a  golden  red,  of  great  scale, 
weighing  in  fair  show  condition  2,400  Ibs.,  and  could  easily  have  been  made 
to  weigh  2,500  Ibs.  He  was  a  bull  of  great  length,  and,  while  not  remarka- 
bly short  in  the  leg,  was  deep  of  body  and  wide  from  end  to  end,  with 
oblique  shoulders,  well  filled  behind  them,  well-sprung  ribs,  wide  in  the 
chest,  with  the  most  remarkable  development  of  brisket  I  ever  saw  in  a 
bull.  He  was  good  in  twist  and  thigh,  a  little  light  in  flank,  and  not  so  long 
of  hip  as  the  rules  of  proportion  require,  perhaps,  but  compensated  foi 
that  defect  by  extra  width  at  that  point.  He  had  a  beautiful  heal,  set  on  a 
neck  clean  and  small  at  the  throat- latch,  swelling  in  symmetrical  lines  into 
the  great  chest.  His  horn  wa-s  short  and  flat,  thick  at  the  base  and  on  a 
level  with  the  top  of  the  head.  The  carriage  of  the  bull  was  superb.  I  do 


RISE    OF    SCOTCH    POWER    IN    AMERICA.        685 

heifers,  including  the  Booth-bred  Gaiety  and 
Madame  Booth,  both  from  Killerby  and  got  by 
Brigade  Major  (21312). 

In  July,  1871,  John  Miller  brought  out  nine 
heifers,  including  Missie  32d,  from  Uppermill, 
Oxford  Lady  from  Col.  Towneley's,  and  several 
from  the  herd  of  T.  Marshall  of  Annan,  Scot- 
land. In  1872  Mr.  Miller  imported  the  Booth- 
bred  General  Prim  (31234),  of  Hugh  Aylmer's 
breeding. 

James  I.  Davidson.— One  of  the  earliest  and 
most  consistent  supporters  of  Sittyton  in  Can- 
ada was  Mr.  James  I.  Davidson  of  Balsam,  On- 
tario. A  native  of  Aberdeen,  who  emigrated 
to  Canada  in  1842,  he  enjoyed  the  personal 
friendship  and  confidence  of  Mr.  Amos  Cruick- 
shank,  and  after  it  appeared  that  the  Sittyton 
sort  were  winning  their  way  in  America  he  be- 
came for  some  years  the  leading  importer  and 
distributor  of  cattle  of  that  type  on  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic. 

Mr.  Davidson  began  breeding  Short-horns 
about  1860  with  a  heifer  by  Fawkes  (14539), 

not  think  I  ever  saw  anythiog  quite  equal  to  it.  So  good  a  judge  as  Davy 
Grant  once  said  of  him  on  the  show  ground  that  if  he  possessed  the  instru- 
ments and  skill  of  the  sculptor  he  couldn't  carve  a  more  perfect  front.  He 
impressed  his  qualities  upon  his  heifer  calves  in  a  much  larger  degree  than 
upon  his  bull  calves.  All  his  heifers  were  very  like  him,  but  his  bull 
progeny  were  more  prone  to  follow  the  characteristics  of  their  dams. 

"  Lord  Strathallan  was  what  might  be  called  a  miscellaneously-bred  bull, 
but  from  the  best  sources.  The  blood  of  nearly  all  of  the  great  English 
breeders  was  in  his  lineage.  Mason,  Towneley,  Douglas,  Knightley,  Booth 
and  Cruickshank  all  contributed  in  more  or  less  degree  to  the  constitution 
of  his  blood  lines." 


686         A    HISTORY    OF  SHORT-HOKN    CATTLE. 

running  on  the  dam's  side  to  imp.  Esterville. 
She  proved  a  good  investment.  In  1862  he 
purchased  from  George  Miller  of  Markham  the 
good  cow  Cherry,  by  Prince  of  Wales  (18630), 
that  also  did  well.  It  was  not  until  1871  that 
Mr.  Davidson  commenced  importing  direct  from 
Sittyton.*  In  June  of  that  year  Mr.  Jamieson, 
an  Aberdonian  relative — who  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  Mr.  Grant  Duff  for  more  than  twenty 
years — selected  and  shipped  five  heifers,  includ- 
ing Oak  Wreath,  a  red  by  Allan  (21172);  Rose 
Blossom,  a  red  by  Senator  (27441);  Matchless 
15th,  a  red  by  Champion  of  England;  Match- 
less 16th,  a  roan  by  Senator,  and  Water  Witch, 
a  red  by  Scotland's  Pride.  Two  of  these,  Rose 
Blossom  and  Matchless  15th,  were  among  the 
best  Cruickshank  heifers  ever  brought  to  this 
country  and  were  sold  to  the  Messrs.  Moffatt. 
The  other  three  were  retained  for  a  time,  but 
after  a  few  years  Oak  Wreath  was  sold  to  Mr. 

*  Just  before  the  dispersion  sale  of  the  famous  herd  of  Grant  Duff  of 
Eden  was  announced  in  1868,  Mr.  Davidson  wrote  to  his  friend  and  relative 
Mr.  Jamieson,  Mr.  Duff's  overseer,  for  a  price  on  a  good  yearling  heifer.  He 
was  advised  that  the  price  would  be  40  guineas.  Instead  of  sending  the 
money  direct,  Mr.  Davidson  forwarded  a  draft  to  a  near  relative,  with  in- 
structions to  procure  and  ship  the  heifer.  The  recipient  of  the  money, 
however,  took  it  upon  himself  to  decide,  that  the  price  was  too  high  and 
determined  to  wait  and  execute  the  order  at  the  sale.  In  order  that  Mr. 
Davidson's  agent  might  not  make  any  mistake  and  bid  on  the  wrong  ani- 
mal, Jamieson  agreed  to  enter  the  ring  during  the  sale  and  adjust  the  halter 
on  the  heifer  chosen.  The  plan  worked  all  right  until  the  bidding  began, 
but  as  the  heifer  was  started  at  50  guineas  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  going 
at  100  guineas,  the  order  was  never  filled.  This  proved  a  costly  interfer- 
ence with  Mr.  Davidson's  plans,  as  a  granddaughter  of  the  heifer  in  ques- 
tion (Venus,  by  Grand  Duke,  Vol.  XI,  E.  H.  B.)  during  the  "boom"  days 
of  the  seventies  commanded  the  great  price  of  $2,300  at  a  sale  made  by 
Edward  lies  at  Springfield.  I1L 


RISE   OF   SCOTCH   POWER   IN    AMERICA.        687 

Ludlow  of  Monroe,  Wis.,  for  $800  along  with 
her  fifteen  months'  calf  at  $600.  Water  Witch 
also  came  to  the  States  at  $700,  and  a  fifteen 
months'  calf  from  Matchless  16th  was  sold  to 
C.  Jordan  of  Iowa  at  $500. 

In  August,  1873,  Mr.  Davidson  imported 
Mysie  37th  and  a  pair  of  Orange  Blossoms 
and  in  1874  received  the  first  large  shipment 
ever  forwarded  from  Sittyton,  consisting  of 
twenty  head.  This  transferred  to  America 
some  of  the  most  valuable  blood  of  the  Cruick- 
shank  herd,  and  from  it  have  descended  a  large 
number  of  the  best  Cruickshank  cattle  con- 
tained in  the  breeding  herds  of  Canada  and  the 
Western  States.  It  included  such  animals  as 
the  Butterflys  36th,  43d  and  44th,  Acorn  2d, 
Red  Lady,  Mysies  35th  and  36th,  Autumn  Lady, 
Coral,  Village  Girl,  Rosemary,  Flora  6th, 
Golden  Galaxy,  Evening  Star,  etc.,  besides  the 
bull  Framework  (33964).  Soon  after  this  im- 
portation was  landed  Dr.  Noel  of  Nashville, 
Tenn,,  visited  Mr.  Davidson  and  purchased  two 
of  the  Sittyton  heifers  for  $1,800,  one  of  which 
gave  rise  to  the  family  since  known  as  the 
Tennessee  Orange  Blossoms.  It  was  about  this 
time  that  Mr.  J.  H.  Kissinger  was  at  the  zenith 
of  his  career  in  the  American  show-yard,  and 
in  1875  he  was  allowed  to  select  some  of  the 
"plums"  of  this  importation  for  the  purpose 
of  strengthening  his  show  herd  and  the  Cruick- 


688        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

shank  cause  in  the  States;  taking  out  to  the 
West  a  car-load  lot  of  Sittyton-bred  cattle  that 
in  after  years  proved  a  mine  of  wealth  to  the 
breeders,  feeders  and  farmers  of  the  corn  belt. 
It  was  at  this  period  that  Mr.  Davidson  made 
his  fortunate  use  of  Crown  Prince  of  Athel- 
stane  2d  16585  upon  Cruickshank  cows  and 
heifers.  In  1876  Daniel  Cookson  of  Iowa  paid 
$2,500  for  five  calves  sired  by  this  bull.  An- 
other, the  heifer  Rose  of  Sharon  from  imp. 
Rosemary,  was  bought  by  Mr.  Palmer  of  Mis- 
souri at  one  of  Kissinger's  sales  at  $600,  and  won 
championship  honors  at  St.  Louis,  not  meeting 
defeat  at  any  point  on  the  Western  circuit. 
Crown  Prince  of  Athelstane  2d  was  a  prize-win- 
ner himself,  never  having  been  defeated  in  the 
show-ring.  Mr.  Davidson  always  refused  to 
price  him  and  retained  him  in  service  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  at  seven  years  of  age. 
The '  extraordinary  success  of  this  Athelstane 
cross  in  the  States  is  referred  to  elsewhere. 

From  1881  to  1887  Mr.  Davidson  had  prac- 
tically a  monopoly  of  the  handling  of  such 
stock  as  Mr.  Cruickshank  could  spare  for  the 
American  trade.  It  would  require  more  space 
than  we  have  here  at  our  command  to  enumer- 
ate even  the  best  of  the  many  massive,  thick- 
fleshed,  wide-bodied,  short-legged  specimens  of 
the  Aberdeenshire  type  transferred  to  the  New 
World  by  Mr.  Davidson  during  the  period  last 


RISE   OF   SCOTCH   POWER   IN   AMERICA.        689 

named.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  leaders  of  the 
movement  in  behalf  of  Scotch  Short-horns  in 
the  States,  such  as  Messrs.  Kissinger,  Potts, 
Harris,  Cookson,  Moffatt  and  their  contempo- 
raries profited  largely  by  the  admirable  oppor- 
tunity presented  by  Mr.  Davidson's  extensive 
operations  in  Sittyton  Short-horns. 

Hon.  John  Dryden. — It  was  in  July,  1871, 
that  Hon.  John  Dryden  of  Maple  Shade  Farm, 
Brooklin,  Ontario,  one  of  the  most  intelligent 
of  all  those  who  have  given  their  adherence  to 
Short-horns  in  the  Dominion,  began  breeding 
•and  importing  cattle  of  the  Cruickshank  blood. 
In  that  year  he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  secure 
at  120  guineas  from  Sittyton  the  now  famous 
Mimulus,  by  Champion  of  England,  then  in  her 
three-year-old  form.  As  has  already  been 
shown,  this  red  cow,  as  the  dam  of  Mr.  Cruick- 
shank's  Royal  Duke  of  Gloster,  contributed  to 
the  Sittyton  herd  one  of  its  controlling  forces. 
In  this  same  importation  was  the  red  heifer 
Mysie  34th,  by  Caesar  Augustus;  the  roan  three- 
year-old  12th  Duchess  of  Gloster,  by  Champion 
of  England;  the  red  cow  Butterfly  15th,  by 
Prince  Imperial;  the  roan  three-year-old  Queen 
of  Beauty,  by  Senator,  and  the  red  bull  Stanley 
(32594),  by  Caesar  Augustus  out  of  Sweet 
Violet  by  Lord  Stanley.  Queen  of  Beauty  cost 
at  Sittyton  110  guineas.  She  became  the  gran- 
dam  of  the  show  heifer  Beauty's  Pride,  sold  by 

44 


690        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Mr.  Dryden  as  a  calf  to  Mr.  Kissinger  and  after- 
ward owned  by  L.  Palmer,  at  whose  sale  in 
Chicago  she  brought  in  connection  with  her 
bull  calf  $1,875. 

Mimulus  produced  one  heifer,  that  was  sold 
to  Messrs.  Potts.  We  are  without  information, 
however,  as  to  her  career.  The  imported  cow 
produced  several  bulls,  however,  all  of  which 
were  exceptionally  good,  the  best  of  them  being 
the  roan  Barmpton  Hero  (324  C.  H.  B.),  by  imp. 
Royal  Barmpton  (45503),  sold  as  a  calf  to  Messrs. 
Watt  of  Canada  and  used  in  their  herd  until 
thirteen  years  old.  He  was  shown  for  many 
years,  gaining  more  than  thirty  prizes,  and  was 
never  beaten  but  once,  and  then  by  a  bull  that 
he  had  always  defeated  on  every  other  occasion. 
Barmpton  Hero,  it  is  claimed,  has  been  the 
progenitor  of  more  prize  stock  in  Canada  in 
recent  years  than  any  other  bull  of  his  time. 
His  blood  could  be  traced  for  several  genera- 
tions among  the  prize-winners  at  Toronto  and 
other  leading  Dominion  shows  and  is  to  this 
day  a  frequent  subject  of  comment  in  Canada. 
He  inherited  the  robust  constitution  of  his  Sit- 
tyton  ancestors,  and  one  who  examined  him  at 
twelve  years  of  age  says:  "I  saw  him  shortly 
before  he  went  to  the  butcher,  and  he  was  still 
as  spry  and  active  as  a  kitten." 

Unfortunately  the  other  sons  of  Mimulus  did 
not  have  an  equal  opportunity  for  distinguish- 


RISE   OF   SCOTCH   POWER   IN   AMERICA.        691 

ing  themselves;  as  they  did  not  go  into  herds 
where  they  could  make  an  effective  impression, 
Viewed  in  the  light  of  the  accomplishments  of 
Royal  Duke  of  Gloster  at  Sittyton  and  of 
Barmpton  Hero  in  Canada,  it  will  always  be  a 
source  of  regret  that  the  Mimulus  blood  was 
not  appreciated  more  thoroughly  at  the  time  it 
was  available.  Speaking  upon  this  point  Mr. 
Dryden  says:  "None  of  us  knew  the  exact 
value  of  these  animals  and  of  others  which 
have  passed  through  our  hands  until  it  was 
too  late." 

In  1873  Mr.  Dryden  imported  from  Sittyton 
the  roan  heifer  Columbia,  by  Lord  Lancaster 
(26666),  and  the  great  roan  bull  Royal  Barmpton 
(45503),  by  Lord  Lansdowne  (29128)  out  of  But- 
terfly's Delight  by  Allan.  Royal  Barmpton  was 
undoubtedly  the  best  bull  Mr.  Dryden  ever 
owned  or  used.  He  was  considered  so  valua- 
ble as  a  sire  that  it  was  deemed  injudicious  to 
put  him  in  high  condition  for  the  shows.  He 
was  nevertheless  successfully  exhibited  upon 
several  occasions.  He  was  seen  at  one  of  the 
Provincial  shows  in  even  thinner  condition  than 
usual,  and  it  was  scarcely  thought  possible  that 
he  could  head  his  class,  but  he  was  always  re- 
markably smooth  and  grew  on  one  the  more 
he  was  examined.  In  spite  of  his  lack  of  con- 
dition he  gained  first  honors  in  this  instance, 
receiving  under  the  rule  of  the  society  at  that 


692        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

time  three  times  the  amount  of  the  prize 
money  on  account  of  his  being  imported. 
Royal  Barmpton  was  finally  sold  to  Mr.  Jor- 
dan of  Iowa.  In  1880  Mr.  Dryden  bought  from 
Mr.  Cruickshank  the  four  heifers  Sunbeam, Vio- 
let Bud,  Orange  Blossom  30th  and  Barmpton 
Violet,  together  with  the  bulls  Baron  Surmise 
(45933)  and  Lancaster  Royal.  Baron  Surmise 
afterward  became  the  property  of  Col.  C.  A. 
DeGraff  of  Minnesota.  Violet  Bud  was  sold  to 
Mr.  Kissinger,  from  whom  she  was  purchased 
by  Col.  W.  A.  Harris.  In  May,  1881,  Mr.  Dryden 
brought  out  from  Sittyton  the  heifers  Victoria 
69th  (sold  to  Kissinger  and  by  him  to  Col. 
Harris),  Corn  Flower,  Sultana  and  Flora  17th. 
In  1882  he  imported  Lavender  30th,  Victoria 
72d,  Lavender  Pride  and  the  bulls  Lord  Glamis 
(48192)  and  Aberdeen  Champion  (47313).  In 
1883  the  roan  heifers  Arbutus  and  Lovely  37th 
were  imported. 

Mr.  Dryden  is  known  throughout  Canada  as 
one  of  the  best  farmers  in  the  Dominion,  and 
has  been  called  into  public  life  as  Minister  of 
Agriculture  for  the  Province  of  Ontario.  He 
has  always  maintained  the  position  that  Short- 
horns should  be  bred  for  practical  and  useful 
purposes,  regardless  of  the  whims  and  fancies 
of  fashion.  Believing,  with  others,  that  it  was 
inexpedient  to  endeavor  to  sustain  the  Cruick- 
shank tribes  in  their  purity  for  an  indefinite 


RISE    OF    SCOTCH    POWER   IN   AMERICA.        693 

period,  Mr.  Dryden  was  deeply  interested  in  Mr. 
Edward  Cruickshank's  experiment  at  Lethenty 
in  seeking  a  fresh  cross  for  the  Sittyton  stock 
through  the  medium  of  the  Longmore  cows, 
reference  to  which  is  made  on  page  668.  When, 
therefore,  Edward  Cruickshank  decided  to  give 
up  breeding  on  his  own  account  in  1887  Mr. 
Dryden  purchased  his  herd  and  imported  it 
into  Canada.  We  quote  his  own  statement  as 
to  this  herd  as  follows: 

It  included  forty  animals— thirty  females  and  ten  bulls.  Among 
the  bulls  were  two  which  were  afterward  somewhat  used  in  my 
herd — Sussex,  bred  at  Sittyton,  and  Patriot,  bred  at  Lethenty. 
Of  the  females  twenty-four  were  descendants  from  purchases  at 
Sittyton  and  the  remaining-  six  were  descendants  of  the  five  supe- 
rior cows  bought  at  the  dispersion  sale  of  Mr.  Longmore  at  Rettie, 
all  of  thei^  being  sired  by  Sittyton  bulls  and  some  having  more 
than  one  cross.  The  theory  Mr.  Ed.  Cruickshank  had  was  that 
from  among  these  cows  he  would  be  able  with  a  cross  of  Sittyton 
blood  to  secure  a  bull  or  bulls  which  would  nick  well  with  the 
Cruickshank  cattle.  This  was  at  a  time  when  Amos  Cruickshank 
himself  felt  that  in-and-in  breeding  had  been  continued  as  far  as 
was  prudent,  and  he  also  was  looking  for  outside  material  of  this 
kind.  These  Longmore  cows  I  saw  in  Edward  Cruickshank's 
herd  some  years  before  and  they  were  splendid  animals  of  great 
scale  and  good  milking  qualities,  but  with  scarcely  the  early  ma- 
turing qualities  which  were  found  in  the  Sittyton  cattle. 

Of  the  bulls  obtained  from  Mr.  Cruickshank  three  are  worthy 
of  special  mention.  The  most  attractive  was  Red  Emperor  71419, 
by  Perfection  out  of  the  old  Sittyton  cow  Harmony  by  Pride  of 
the  Isles.  Harmony  belonged  to  the  Goldie  family  of  Mr.  Marr's 
herd.  Red  Emperor  was  sold  to  L.  Miller  of  Maryville,  Mo.,  and 
won  many  prizes  in  the  West.  The  next  was  Sussex,  belonging 
to  the  Secret  family,  and  a  very  thick  and  massive  animal.  An- 
other bull  which  has  done  good  service  was  Pioneer,  sold  to  Mr. 
W.  C.  Edwards.  He  was  out  of  one  of  the  Rettie  cows  with  two 
or  three  crosses  of  Sittyton  blood  on  the  top.  He  was  successfully 
used  by  Mr.  Edwards  and  was  the  sire  of  several  prize-winning 


694        A   HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

animals.  In  conversation  with  Mr.  Edwards  a  few  days  ago  he 
stated  that  this  was  the  most  successful  bull  he  had  had  up  to 
the  present. 

Of  the  Sittyton  females  at  Lethenty  two  families  are  worthy  of 
special  mention,  namely,  the  Bra  with  Buds  headed  by  the  Sitty- 
ton cow  Grizelda,  by  Royal  Violet.  This  cow  I  had  seen  in  the 
herd  some  years  before  and  she  was  perhaps  the  choice  animal  at 
that  time.  She  was  an  exceedingly  steady  and  good  breeder. 
Two  of  the  best  that  I  imported  of  that  family  were  Winterberry, 
sired  by  Cawdor,  used  at  Sittyton,  and  Orange  Flower,  sired  by 
Perfection  out  of  Winterberry.  Orange  Flower  is  still  one  of  the 
herd  at  Maple  Shade.  Both  these  cows  were  exceptionally  low  to 
the  ground  and  of  great  breadth  and  splendid  heart  room.  Thsy 
always  deceived  every  one  who  undertook  to  guess  their  weight. 
Some  of  the  other  animals  of  the  herd  which  looked  very  much 
larger  could  not  bring  down  the  scales  near  to  either  of  them.  Of 
the  Jessie  family,  represented  by  the  cow  Roseberry,  bred  at  Sit- 
tyton, the  two  best  cows  were  Brambleberry  and  Rowanberry, 
the  first  by  Perfection  and  the  second  by  Prince  Rufus,  bred  at 
Lethenty  and  sired  by  Perfection.  Brambleberry  was  a  splendid 
cow  of  considerable  scale  and  low  to  the  ground.  Rowanberry 
was  of  greater  scale  and  greater  length. 

Of  the  Rettie  lot  secured  I  have  always  had  a  leaning  for  the 
progeny  of  the  cow  Northern  Belle. 

Arthur  Johnston.— The  importation  in  1874 
of  a  pair  of  Scotch  heifers  in  connection  with 
Mr.  Birrell  constituted  the  first  investment 
made  by  Arthur  Johnston  of  Greenwood  in  im- 
ported Short-horns.  In  1881  he  brought  out 
from  Kent,  England,  the  red  bull  Lewis  Arundel 
46433,  bred  by  Messrs.  Leney  &  Son.  In  1883 
he  imported  the  English-bred  Statira  Duchess 
2d  and  the  Scotch-bred  bulls  Capt.  Errant  and 
Bold  Buccleuch.  In  August,  1884,  he  brought 
out  from  Mr.  Duthie's  the  roan  bull  Eclipse,  by 
Earl  of  March  (33807),  and  in  October  of  the 
same  year  he  landed  a  large  and  excellent  im- 


RISE    OF    SCOTCH    POWER   IN   AMERICA.        695 

portation  which  included  the  white  Sittyton 
heifer  Allspice,  an  own  sister  to  the  celebrated 
Field  Marshal;  four  Lancaster  heifers  bred  by 
Nathaniel  Reid  of  Aberdeenshire;  two  Clarets, 
a  Nonpareil  and  two  Rosebuds  from  Kinellar, 
and  eight  young  bulls,  seven  of  which  were  of 
S.  Campbell's  breeding. 

Mr.  Johnston  made  several  subsequent  im- 
portations and  was  the  owner  of  the  noted 
roan  Cruickshank  Victoria  bull  Indian  Chief 
98651,  the  sire  of  some  successful  show  stock, 
including  the  fine  roan  bull  Nonpareil  Chief 
113034  (a  Kinellar  Nonpareil),  sold  to  Col.  T. 
S.  Moberley  of  Kentucky,  and  exhibited  in  the 
States. 

Miscellaneous  Canadian  importations. — In 
1871  W.  B.  Telfer  of  Fergus  imported  the  heif- 
ers Duchess  of  Kent  and  Royal  Alice  from  the 
herd  of  W.  Chalmers  of  Old  What,  Aberdeen- 
shire,  and  the  bull  His  Royal  Highness  (28860) 
from  same  herd.  In  1874  W.  Major  of  White 
dale  imported  five  heifers  and  two  bulls  from 
the  herd  of  James  Currie,  Halkerston,  near 
Edinburgh,  followed  in  1875  by  a  shipment  of 
three  heifers  from  the  herd  of  J.  W.  Phillips, 
Staffordshire,  England,  and  one  from  the  Berke- 
ley Castle  herd  of  Lord  Fitzhardinge. 

In  1874  Messrs.  Birrell  &  Johnston  of  Green- 
wood brought  out  from  Uppermill  the  dark-roan 
yearling  heifer  Alexandrina  6th,  and  from  the 


696        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

herd  of  James  Bruce  of  Burnside  the  red  year- 
ling Priscilla  7th,  by  Lord  St.  Leonards,  a  half- 
sister  to  imp.  Duke  of  Richmond  (21525).  In 
1875  William  Collum  of  Haysville  imported 
Aggie  Buckingham  and  Airy  Buckingham,  of 
Amos  Cruickshank's  breeding;  the  heifers  Dor- 
othy and  Viscountess  2d,  bred  by  John  Law  of 
Aberdeenshire,  and  the  bull  Liberator,  bred  by 
Robert  Bruce. 

.  In  1883  Thomas  Russell  of  Exeter  brought 
out  the  heifers  Border  Charm  and  Border 
Pride,  of  William  Duthie's  breeding,  along  with 
two  other  heifers  from  the  herds  of  A.  Davidson 
and  John  Johnson,  and  the  red  bull  Lord 
Ythan,  bred  by  Mr.  Duthie  from  the  Cruick- 
shank  bull  Shapinshay  out  of  Lovely  25th.  In 
May,  1883,  Francis  Green  of  Innerkip  made  an 
important  importation,  including  Mysie  34th, 
bred  by  A.  Scott  of  Towie  Barclay;  Jewel  8th, 
Countess  5th  and  Eliza  9th,  from  Mr.  Duthie's; 
Clematis,  from  Sittyton;  Princess  Royal  23d,  in 
calf  to  Athabasca,  Patchouli,  Clara  40th,  and 
the  bull  Earl  of  Mar  (47815),  of  the  Emma 
tribe,  from  Mr.  Marr's. 

In  1884  Green  Bros,  of  Innerkip  imported 
four  heifers  from  the  North  of  Scotland  and 
the  bulls  Enterprise  and  Earl  of  Roseberry 
from  the  herds  of  Messrs.  Duthie  and  Marr  re- 
spectively. Beginning  with  1878  and  continu- 
ing until  1882,  Mr.  George  Whitfield  shipped 


BJSS  OF  SCOTCH  POW^E  Itt  AMERICA.        697 

out  to  his  farm  at  Rougemont,  Quebec,  some 
h'fty  head  of  Short-horns  from  various  Scotch, 
English  and  Irish  herds.  But  while  these  rep- 
resented some  of  the  best  British  blood,  they 
scarcely  received  that  attention  at  Rougemont 
necessary  to  render  them  of  special  value  to 
American  herds.  They  were  finally  scattered 
without  having  left  much  impress  on  the  trade. 
The  lies  importation  into  Illinois. — The 
first  direct  importation  of  Aberdeenshire  cat- 
tle into  the  Western  States,  with  the  exception 
of  the  pair  included  in  the  Illinois  Importing 
Co.'s  shipment  of  1857,  was  selected  by  one 
of  America's  most  famous  herdsmen,  David 
Grant,  for  Mr.  Edward  lies  of  Springfield,  111., 
in  August,  1874.  Rarely  has  it  ever  fallen  to 
the  lot  of  one  man  to  buy  two  such  celebrities 
in  embryo  as  were  developed  from  this  small 
purchase  of  six  head.  There  was  but  one  bull 
in  the  lot,  but  he  proved  a  maker  of  history. 
This  was  Duke  of  Richmond  21525,  of  Bruce's 
breeding.  There  was  but  one  Cruickshank 
heifer  in  the  lot — Orange  Blossom  18th,  by 
Viceroy  (32764)  out  of  Orange  Blossom  14th  by 
Knight  of  the  Whistle  (26558);  second  dam 
Orange  Blossom  12th  by  Prince  Imperial 
(22595).  Both  of  these  animals  were  yearlings 
at  the  time  of  their  importation.  Both  were 
sold  to  J.  H.  Kissinger;  the  Duke  at  the  Ameri- 
can record  price  of  $4,500  for  a  Scotch  bull  and 


698         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

the  heifer  at  $2,500.  The  latter  was  bought 
later  on  by  Mrs.  Kimberly  of  Iowa  at  the  record 
price  for  a  Scotch  female  of  $3,500.  It  thus  ap- 
pears that  these  two  yearlings  reached  a  com- 
bined value  of  $8,000. 

Concerning  Orange  Blossom  18th  Mr.  Kissin- 
ger says:  "She  was  a  great  heifer,  a  splendid 
specimen  of  her  noble  race;  a  very  short- 
legged,  thick,  heavy-fleshed  animal,  such  as  it 
was  my  delight  to  handle.  I  considered  her  one 
of  the  best  heifers  that  ever  crossed  the  waters 
or  was  ever  bred  by  that  grand  old  man- 
Amos  Cruickshank."* 

In  the  herd  of  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son  the  Duke  of 
Richmond  scored  such  a  success  both  as  a  sire 
and  show  bull  that  he  is  generally  credited 
with  having  contributed  as  much  toward  mak- 
ing the  reputation  of  Scotch  sires  in  America 
as  any  other  one  animal  ever  imported. 

In  addition  to  the  celebrated  animals  named 
Mr.  lies  imported  Missie  40th  from  Uppermill 
and  the  heifers  Flora  3d,  Flora  7th  and  Flora 

*Orai7ge  Blossom  18th  undoubtedly  owed  her  extraordinary  merit  very 
largely  to  her  sire,  Viceroy,  that  was  got  by  Champion  of  England  out  of 
the  great  show  cow  Violet's  Forth.  The  bull  Knight  of  the  Whistle  that 
sired  her  dam  was  a  roan,  bred  by  Mr.  Foljambe  of  Osberton  Hall,  and  got 
by  the  Booth  bull  Knight  of  the  Garter  (23062).  It  will  be  noted  that  the 
second  dam  was  sired  by  the  Booth  bull  Prince  Imperial  (22595).  Notwith- 
standing this  fact,  Mr.  Cruickshank  always  claimed  that  his  herd  never 
received  the  benefit  he  had  anticipated  from  the  Booth  blood.  His  experi- 
ence with  Bites  blood,  as  it  came  in  through  cows  purchased  for  the  herd, 
did  not  induce  him  to  place  a  very  high  estimate  upon  that  for  his  pur- 
poses. As  we  must  accept  his  judgment  upon  both  of  these  points— so  far 
as  it  applies  to  his  own  work— arrived  at  after  careful  trial,  it  seems  clear 
that  Orange  Blossom  18th  derived  her  excellence  from  her  sire's  side  of 
the  house. 


RISE    OF    SCOTCH    POWER    IN    AMERICA.        699 

Belle,  bred  by  J.  Gordon,  Cluny  Castle,  Aber- 
deenshire. 

Robert  Milne  of  Kelvin  Grove. — Following 
the  lies  importation  there  came  the  same  year 
from  Sittyton  a  carefully-chosen  and  exceed- 
ingly valuable  lot,  consisting  of  seven  females 
and  one  bull,  selected  just  at  the  right  time  to 
secure  the  richest  of  the  Cruickshank  blood. 
The  great  Aberdeenshire  herd  was  then  near- 
ing  its  period  of  highest  excellence.  Mr.  Milne 
was  a  native  Aberdonian  who  enjoyed  the 
friendship  and  respect  of  Mr.  Cruickshank,  and 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  secured  in  this 
importation  some  of  the  very  best  cattle  ever 
sent  to  American  shores.  He  had  been  breed- 
ing Short-horns  at  his  Kelvin  Grove  Farm,  near 
Lockport,  111.,  for  many  years;  in  fact,  he  was 
one  of  the  pioneer  breeders  of  the  State  of  his 
adoption.  Like  Amos  Cruickshank,  he  held 
that  the  Short-horn's  chief  mission  was  to  con- 
vert the  ordinary  foodstuffs  of  the  farm  into 
prime  beef  at  a  profit  to  his  owner.  Substance, 
constitution*  and  thrift  were  with  him  cardinal 
points,  and  in  this  admirable  selection  from 
Sittyton  those  characteristics  found  full  exem- 
plification. We  believe  that  the  animals  were 
picked  by  Mr.  Cruickshank  himself  with  a  view 
toward  furnishing  Mr.  Milne  with  a  foundation 
stock  that  should  represent  the  best  Sittyton 
type. 


700        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

The  bull  selected  was  the  red  Viscount  18507, 
calved  in  1872,  and  sired  by  Lord  Lansdowne 
(29128)  out  of  the  good  cow  Red  Violet  by 
Allan  (21272);  second  dam  the  famous  Violet 
by  Lord  Bathurst  (13173).  Lord  Lansdowne 
was  by  Caesar  Augustus,  descending  on  the 
dam's  side  through  the  Lovelys.  Viscount's 
development  exceeded  Mr.  Milne's  most  san- 
guine expectations.  He  matured  into  a  bull  of 
extraordinary  breadth  of  body  and  depth  of 
flesh.  Indeed  it  is  doubtful  if  a  better  sire  has 
been  known  in  Western  Short-horn  herds;  his 
get  inheriting  his  substance  and  capacity  for 
laying  on  flesh  even  to  the  second  and  third 
generations;  his  daughters  and  granddaughters 
in  the  herds  of  Messrs.  Milne,  Aldrich  of  Tis- 
kilwa,  and  Cummings  of  Buda  possessing  great 
scale  and  thickness  and  were  frequently  heavy 
milkers. 

The  females  of  this  importation  were  as  fol- 
lows: The  roan  Butterfly  34th;  the  red  Butter- 
fly 37th,  by  Champion  of  England;  the  roan 
Corianda,  out  of  the  great  Carmine  Rose  by 
Champion  of  England;  the  red  Secrecy,  by  the 
greatest  son  of  Champion  of  England — Grand 
Duke  of  Gloster  (26288);  the  red  Bridal  Flower, 
by  Scotland's  Pride  out  of  Bride  Elect  by  Lord 
Raglan;  the  red  Glitter,  out  of  a  Brawith  Bud 
cow  by  Champion  of  England,  and  the  roan 
Autumn  Flower,  out  of  Autumn  Leaf  by  Cham- 


RISE    OF   SCOTCH    POWER   IN    AMERICA.        701 

pion  of  England.  Mr.  Cruickshank  must  have 
parted  with  this  richly-bred  consignment  with 
extreme  reluctance,  but  he  never  did  a  better 
stroke  of  business,  so  far  as  building  up  Ameri- 
can trade  was  concerned,  than  when  he  for- 
warded these  to  Illinois.  Many  of  the  best 
show  and  breeding  cattle  of  the  past  twenty 
years  in  this  country  have  carried  the  blood  of 
this  Robert  Milne  importation. 

Lowman  and  Smiths'  importations. — Rank- 
ing well  up  with  the  Robert  Milne  purchases, 
and  exceeding  the  Kelvin  Grove  lot  in  numbers, 
the  shipments  of  Sittyton  and  Uppermill  stock 
made  by  Mr.  Davis  Lowman  and  Messrs.  Smith 
of  Toulon,  111.,  in  1875  and  1876  hold  a  place  in 
Western  Short-horn  history  second  to  few  other 
importations  of  the  century.  The  first  lot, 
brought  out  in  June,  1875,  included  the  roan 
Lovely  18th,  the  red  Butterflys  45th  and  46th 
from  Mr.  Cruickshank's,  and  Missie  35th,  Goldy 
18th  and  Red  Lady  3d  from  Mr.  Marr's,  beside 
Geraldine  7th,  bred  by  J.  Cochrane  of  Little 
Haddo.  Mr.  A.  J.  Dunlap  of  Galesburg,  111., 
bought  Lovely  18th  at  $1,010  and  Butterfly  46th 
at  $850.  For  Red  Lady  3d  Messrs.  Pickrell  gave 
$1,200,  and  for  Missie  35th  Edward  lies  paid 
$635.  Butterfly  45th  and  Goldie  18th  were  sold 
to  John  Bond,  Abingdon,  111.  The  shipment  of 
1876  included  Orange  Blossom  25th  from  Sitty- 
ton, that  was  sold  to  L.  Hanna  of  Waveland, 


702        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Ind.,  for  $705,  and  afterward  became  the  prop- 
erty of  Aaron  Plumley  of  West  Liberty,  la. 
There  also  came  out  on  the  same  ship,  as  the 
individual  property  of  Mr.  Lowman,  a  roan 
heifer  known  as  Victoria  51st,  bred  at  Sittyton 
and  sired  by  Royal  Duke  of  Gloster  (29684)  out 
of  a  daughter  of  Victoria  39th  by  Champon  of 
England.  This  heifer  was  sold  soon  after  im- 
portation to  Mr.  Verry  Aldrich  of  Tiskilwa,  111., 
for  $600,  and  became  the  ancestress  of  one  of 
the  best  families  of  Cruickshank  cattle  of  which 
there  is  record  in  this  country.  Her  daughters 
and  granddaughters  were  grand,  big,  massive 
cows,  with  wonderful  backs,  great  depth,  re- 
markable wealth  of  flesh,  and  were  frequently 
fine  milkers.  One  branch  of  this  family  passed 
into  the  possession  of  Messrs.  Cummings,  Buda, 
111.,  and  later  acquired  great  reputation  in  the 
herds  of  Messrs.  Sanger  of  Waukesha,  Wis.,  Col. 
W.  A.  Harris  of  Linwood  and  C.  B.  Dustin  of 
Summer  Hill,  111.  The  champion  show  cow 
Victoria  of  Hickory  Park,  of  this  line,  was  one 
of  the  finest  types  of  finish,  flesh  and  substance 
ever  seen  in  Western  shows.  She  died  a  few 
years  since,  the  property  of  Messrs.  Dustin. 
This  shipment  was  also  remarkable  as  includ- 
ing the  good  breeding  cow  Emma  3d,  of  Upper- 
mill  breeding,  that  was  bought  by  Messrs.  Potts 
for  $700.  In  their  possession  she  lived  to  an  ad- 
vanced age,  giving  birth  to  many  high-class 


RISE    OF   SCOTCH    POWER    IN    AMERICA.        708 

animals,  among  others  the  celebrated  twin  show 
heifers  Emma  4th  and  Emma  5th.  Missie39th, 
of  Mr.  Marr's  breeding,  and  Sybil  13th,  from 
Sittyton,  were  also  of  this  lot. 

Scotch  success  at  the  shows. — Col.  William 
S.  King  had  given  the  Western  States  an  ink- 
ling as  to  the  superior  flesh  and  substance  of 
the  Scotch  type  of  cattle,  and  J.  H.  Kissinger 
of  Missouri,  Messrs.  Day  of  Iowa,  and  some  of 
their  contemporaries  had  carried  the  demon- 
stration of  their  feeding  quality  to  a  convinc- 
ing conclusion.  About  1877  the  Herefords  were 
pressing  hard  for  recognition  at  the  great 
National  shows,  and  those  who  bore  the  brunt 
of  the  assault  in  behalf  of  the  Short-horns 
found  in  the  North  Country  tribes  a  class  of 
cattle  that  had  the  constitution  to  withstand 
heavy  feeding,  and  that  possessed  the  requisite 
capacity  for  taking  on  flesh  at  an  early  age. 

Potts  and  the  Duke  of  Richmond. — Fore- 
most among  those  who  contested  every  inch  of 
the  Hereford  advance  of  that  period  stood  John 
H.  Potts  &  Son  of  Oakland  Farm,  Jacksonville, 
111.  Mr.  Potts  had  made  a  modest  beginning  in 
1868  by  the  purchase  of  the  cow  Belle  More- 
land,  tracing  on  the  dam's  side  to  imp.  Amelia 
by  Plato.  She  carried  a  cross  of  the  blood  of 
the  Sanders  importation  of  1817,  and,  although 
a  cow  of  great  individual  merit,  was  purchased 
at  the  low  price  of  $95.  Within  six  years  $1,800 


704         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

worth  of  her  descendants  had  been  sold.  Mr. 
Potts  had  the  good  fortune  early  in  his  career 
to  secure  the  valuable  show  and  breeding  bull 
Master  Geneva  20368,  bred  in  Kentucky  and 
sired  by  Prince  Geneva,  of  Ben  Bedford's  Des- 
demona  blood,  out  of  the  White  Rose  cow  Fan- 
nie 2d  by  Stonewall  Jackson  12988.  An 
illustration  of  this  bull  appears  in  Vol.  XIV  of 
the  American  Herd  Book.  He  was  a  red  weigh- 
ing in  show  condition  2,500  Ibs.,  and  it  was  with 
a  herd  headed  by  him  that  Messrs,  Potts  first 
engaged  in  the  show  business;  their  initial  ap- 
pearance being  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair  at 
Peoria  in  1874.  Master  Geneva  was  a  capital 
stock-getter,  and  Mr.  A.  J.  Dunlap  once  offered 
$2,500  for  him. 

In  May,  1876,  Messrs.  Potts  bought  the  famous 
imported  Scotch-bred  bull  Duke  of  Richmond 
21525  from  J.  H.  Kissinger.  He  was  a  red, 
calved  in  1873,  bred  by  James  Bruce  of  Burn- 
side,  Fochabers,  Scotland,  sired  by  Lord  St. 
Leonards  (29202)  out  of  Fannie  by  Royal  Errant 
(22780).  His  sire,  Lord  St.  Leonards,  was  a  roan, 
bred  by  Fawkes  of  Farneley  Hall.  Royal  Errant 
was  of  the  Duke  of  Buccleucti's  breeding,  and 
was  the  sire  .of  many  celebrated  show  cattle, 
among  others  the  bull  Scotsman  (27435),  a  win- 
ner at  the  English  Royal,  imported  by  Mr.  Coch- 
rane  and  famous  in  the  celebrated  Lyndale 
show  herd  of  Col.  William  S.  King.  The  Duke 


RISE    OF    SCOTCH    POWER   IN    AMERICA.        705 

of  Richmond  had  been  imported  by  Mr.  lies  of 
Springfield  in  1874  as  a  yearling,  and  was  shown 
for  him  by  J.  H.  Pickrell  at  the  fall  fairs  of  that 
year.  He  was  a  youngster  of  such  unusual 
promise  that  Messrs.  'Kissinger  and  Spears  both 
wanted  him.  for  their  show  herds.  He  had  cost 
Mr.  lies  $800,  but  the  competition  for  his  pos- 
session in  the  fall  of  1875  was  so  keen  that  Mr. 
Kissinger  was  compelled  to  pay  $4,500  for  him, 
in  addition  to  giving  six  services  valued  at  150 
each.  In  the  spring  of  1876  Mr.  Kissinger  de- 
cided to  disperse  his  show  stock,  and  it  was 
then  that  Messrs.  Potts  acquired  the  bull  at 
$2,250,  besides  the  show  cow  Mattie  Richardson 
and  other  noted  animals.  Duke  of  Richmond 
was  of  medium  size,  but  carried  a  rare  wealth 
of  thick  flesh  in  compact  form.  He  had  breadth 
and  depth  without  superfluous  height,  and  dur- 
ing the  campaigns  of  1876  and  1877  proved 
fairly  invincible.  Mr.  Potts  had  purchased  in 
1875  the  imported  Scotch-bred  heifer  Priscilla 
7th,  also  bred  by  Bruce  of  Burnside  and  got  by 
Lord  St.  Leonards  the  sire  of  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond, and  had  also  acquired  the  imported 
Cruickshank  cow  Red  Lady. 

At  the  Illinois  State  Fair  of  1877  Mr.  C.  M. 
Culbertson  exhibited  the  strongest  herd  of 
Herefords  yet  seen  in  the  United  States,  with 
the  famous  bull  Anxiety  at  its  head.  Grave 
fears  were  entertained  in  the  Short-horn  camp 

45 


706  HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

that  the  "white-faces"  might  bear  away  the 
herd  championship,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the 
stock  of  Messrs.  Potts  they  would  undoubtedly 
have  accomplished  that  trick.  The  herd  which 
thus  successfully  defended  the  honor  of  the 
breed  at  a  crucial  period  in  its  history  consisted 
of  imp.  Duke  of  Richmond,  his  half-sister,  imp. 
Priscilla  7th;  two  daughters  of  Master  Geneva, 
Josie  2d  (a  Pomona)  and  Geneva's  Pride  (trac- 
ing to  imp.  Julia  by  Young  Grant);  Mattie 
Richardson,  an  Amelia  of  Kissinger's  breeding, 
and  Cassa  20th,  a  Rosabella,  sired  by  Leonard's 
Monarch.  It  is  difficult  for  breeders  of  the 
present  day  to  realize  the  tension  that  existed 
in  these  first  great  show-yard  battles  with  the 
Herefords  in  the  West.  The  "white-faces" 
were  then  a  comparative  novelty  on  this  side 
of  the  water  and  some  were  predicting  that 
they  would  soon  supplant  the  Short-horns  en- 
tirely. It  was  felt  that  a  serious  situation  con- 
fronted the  Short-horn  breeding  fraternity,  and 
on  this  account  it  is  difficult  to  overestimate 
the  value  of  the  service  rendered  at  that  time 
by  the  Messrs.  Potts. 

The  Fanny  Airdrie  "nick."— Fortunately 
the  Duke  of  Richmond  proved  a  most  impres- 
sive sire.  Mated  with  American-bred  cows  pos- 
sessing scale  and  finish,  he  gave  Western  show- 
yards  and  breeding  herds  a  class  of  stock  of 
such  undoubted  merit  for  the  feed-lot  and  the 


RISE    OF    SCOTCH    POWER    IN    AMERICA.        707 

block  that  for  many  years  his  descendants  in 
the  hands  of  Messrs.  Potts  and  their  contempo- 
raries figured  conspicuously  in  the  prize  lists  of 
all  the  leading  State  fairs  and  fat-stock  shows. 
While  the  Duke  of  Richmond  was  backed  up  in 
the  herd  by  the'  Marr-bred  Emmas,  the  Sans- 
pareils,  and  later  by  capital  Cruickshank  cows 
and  bulls,  the  creation  of  the  Fannie  Airdries 
by  the  "nick"  of  Richmond  blood  upon  a 
Young  Mary  cow  bred  at  James  N.  Brown's 
Sons'  Grove  Park  Farm,  supplied  sweeping  proof 
of  the  value  of  the  "beefy"  Scotch-bred  bull  as 
a  cross  upon  the  native  tribes.  These  Fannies 
were  thick-meated,  wide-backed,  fine-boned, 
low-legged  Short-horns,  quite  the  equal  of  the 
best  Scotch  sorts  ^s  individuals,  and  possessed 
the  faculty  of  breeding  on  satisfactorily  from 
one  generation  to  another.  The  red  bull  Proud 
Duke  36660,  got  by  the  imported  bull  out  of  old 
Fannie  Airdrie,  the  matron  of  the  family,  not 
only  won  many  first  and  championship  prizes 
but  was  successfully  crossed  upon  the  Sittyton 
Lavenders  at  Oakland,  one  branch  of  which  has 
proved  such  a  valuable  sort  in  the  Hill  Farm 
herd  of  Messrs.  Dustin. 

Frederick  William  and  "the  twins." — An- 
other famous  son  of  the  Duke  of  Richmond  was 
the  massive  red  Frederick  William  23195,  out 
of  Sanspareil  25th.  He  was  the  sire  of  the  far- 
famed  twin  show  cows  Emma  4th  and  Emma 


708        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

5th,  bred  by  Messrs.  Potts  from  Emma  3d,  im- 
ported from  Uppermill.  The  twins  were  red 
cows  of  great  scale  and  substance  and  won- 
derful flesh-carriers.  For  several  seasons  they 
were  the  best  Short-horn  cows  on  the  show  cir- 
cuit. Frederick  William  was  also  exhibited 
with  success  by  Messrs.  Potts  as  well  as  by  the 
late  Robert  Miller  of  West  Liberty,  la. 

A  line  of  Cruickshank  sires. — These  bulls 
were  followed  in  service  by  the  imported 
Cruickshank  sires  Antiquary  49774,  a  large, 
deep-bodied  red,  sired  by  Pride  of  the  Isles  out 
of  Azalea,  the  dam  of  Field  Marshal;  Von 
Tromp  54160,  a  massive,  broad-ribbed  Victoria 
by  Barmpton,  that  won  many  first  and  cham- 
pionship prizes,  and  King  of  Aberdeen  75747, 
a  thick-fleshed,  short-legged  red  of  the  Violet 
tribe  sired  by  Dunblane  65995.  King  of  Aber- 
deen was  one  of  the  last  of  the  good  bulls  of 
Amos  Cruickshank's  own  breeding  used  in  the 
West.  All  these  were  supplied  by  James  I. 
Davidson  of  Canada. 

Twenty  years  in  the  show-yard. — For  a 
period  of  twenty  years  the  Potts  herd  was  seen 
almost  continuously  in  the  show-yard;  meeting 
during  that  time  all  of  the  great  contemporary 
Short-horn  herds  besides  the  Hereford  and 
Aberdeen-Angus  host,  and  it  is  speaking  within 
bounds  to  say  that  during  these  two  decades 
the  Oakland  herd  probably  won  more  prizes 


RISE   OF    SCOTCH   POWER   IN   AMERICA.        709 

than  any  other  cattle-breeding  establishment 
in  North  America.  .It  is  but  justice  to  add  that 
in  the  triumphal  tours  of  the  "seventies"  a 
considerable  share  of  the  credit  for  success  was 
due  to  the  skill  of  Mr.  Harry  Loveland  as  a 
feeder.  Loveland  was  one  of  the  recognized 
experts  of  his  time  in  the  United  States  in  this 
line  of  work,  and  had  come  to  Oakland  from 
the  herd  of  Rigdon  Huston  &  Sons,  Blandins- 
ville,  111.  He  subsequently  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Hereford  exhibitors  and  repeated  with 
Beau  Real  and  other  "white-faces"  his  suc- 
cesses with  Short-horns.  For  the  major  portion 
of  the  time,  however,  that  the  Jacksonville  herd 
was  in  the  thick  of  the  fight  it  was  under  the 
immediate  personal  supervision  of  Mr.  William 
T.  Potts  (the  son),  under  whose  alert  direction 
the  Oakland  Short-horns  rounded  out  a  record 
at  American  fairs  and  fat-stock  shows  that  has 
not  been  surpassed  in  the  annals  of  American 
cattle-breeding. 

The  Wilhoit  herd.— In  a  previous  chapter 
we  have  referred  to  Mr.  Thomas  Wilhoit,  one 
of  the  pioneer  breeders  of  the  State  of  Indiana. 
A  cross  of  the  Scotch  blood  upon  his  herd  in 
the  later  years  of  his  breeding  produced  such 
extraordinary  results  that  the  circumstance 
must  be  here  recognized  as  another  one  of  the 
various  causes  leading  up  to  the  popularity  of 
the  North  Country  Short-horns  in  the  West. 


710        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

One  of  James  I.  Davidson's  lucky  "hits"  in 
crossing  the  Douglas  upon  the  Cruickshank 
blood  was  in  the  case  of  imp.  Red  Lady,  by 
Scotland's  Pride.  Bred  to  Crown  Prince  of 
Athelstane  2d  16585,  she  produced  Lady  Athel- 
stane,  that  became  the  property  of  the  Messrs. 
Potts.  She,  in  turn,  was  bred  to  imp.  Duke  of 
Richmond,  the  progeny  in  1880  being  the  bull 
Knight  of  Athelstane  2d  39545,  that  was  sold  to 
Mr.  Wilhoit.  Representing,  as  he  did,  one  of 
the  richest  combinations  of  prize-winning  blood 
conceivable  at  that  time,  it  seemed  almost  in- 
evitable that  this  bull  should  prove  a  getter  of 
the  kind  of  stock  Mr.  Wilhoit  had  always  en- 
deavored to  produce ;  and  his  use  upon  the  Wil- 
hoit cows  marks  one  of  the  brightest  chapters 
in  American  Short-horn  history.  He  seemed  to 
fairly  transmit  the  combined  merit  of  his  illus- 
trious progenitors,  and  his  immediate  descend- 
ants were  for  many  years  the  pride  of  the  en- 
tire Short-horn  cattle-breeding  fraternity.  As 
in  the  case  of  his  sire,  the  Duke  of  Richmond, 
Knight  of  Athelstane  2d  seemed  to  "nick"  par- 
ticularly well  with  Young  Mary  cows,  the  Ath- 
elstane bulls  representing  that  cross,  shown  in 
the  "eighties"  by  Mr.  Wilhoit,  being  marvels  of 
substance  and  flesh. 

Thomas  Wilhoit  must  be  regarded  as  one  of 
the  great  breeders  of  his  time.  A  practical 
man  and  of  few  words,  he  had  a  profound  grasp 


RISE    OF   SCOTCH    POWER    IN    AMERICA.        711 

of  the  principles  underlying  the  production  of 
good  cattle.  Moreover,  he  had  the  courage 
of  his  convictions.  While  the  storm  of  specu- 
lation was  at  its  height  he  steadfastly  stood  by 
the  herd  which  he  had  created  by  the  applica- 
tion of  sound  principles  of  breeding.  The  sub- 
stance of  his  creed,  as  condensed  by  himself  in 
a  brief  statement  made  in  response  to  inquiries 
at  an  Indianapolis  convention  of  cattle-breed- 
ers, was  contained  in  the  following  words: 
"Thick-fleshed  cattle  will  produce  thick- 
fleshed  cattle."  This  was  his  way  of  stating 
the  maxim  that  "like  begets  like."  He  did  not 
expect  to  produce  profitable  cattle  with  richly- 
furnished  carcasses  from  animals  of  a  delicate, 
light-fleshed  type,  and  had  laid  the  foundation 
for  a  class  of  stock  possessing  great  constitu- 
tion and  thrift  prior  to  his  carefully-consid- 
ered selection  of  the  great  Bruce-and-Douglas- 
crossed  Cruickshank  bull  that  set  the  final  seal 
of  an  extraordinary  success  upon  his  long  and 
useful  career  as  a  breeder  of  Short-horn  cattle. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 


CLOSING  EVENTS  OF  THE  CENTURY. 

The  salient  feature  of  the  trade  on  both  sides 
of  the  Atlantic  during  the  closing  years  of  the 
nineteenth  century  has  been  a  gradual  liquida- 
tion of  what  might  be  termed  speculative  hold- 
ings and  a  widespread  resort .  to  the  use  of 
bulls  of  the  Cruickshank  and  kindred  blood. 
Some  of  the  more  notable  events  occurring 
during  this  transition  period  will  now  be  re- 
corded. 

Sale  of  the  Hillhurst  Duchesses. — In  the 
spring  of  1882  Hon.  M.  H.  Cochrane  of  Hillhurst 
decided  upon  a  dispersion  sale  of  his  Duchesses 
and  other  Bates-bred  stock.  The  event  oc- 
curred at  Chicago  April  18  of  that  year.  The 
cattle  were  offered  in  the  pink  of  condition 
and  were  of  most  attractive  character.  The 
Duchess  consignment  consisted  of  the  famous 
Woodburn-bred  10th  Duchess  of  Airdrie  and 
some  of  her  descendants.  A  cow  of  good  in- 
dividual merit  herself,  the  .  10th  Duchess 
proved  a  prolific  breeder,  transmitting  much  of 
her  own  excellence,  as  well  as  a  good  measure 
of  her  fecundity,  to  her  progeny.  Those  who 

(712) 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.         713 

were  interested  in  the  maintaining  of  values 
for  cattle  of  this  breeding  were  forced  to  get 
behind  this  offering,  and  the  result  was  the 
great  average  of  $2,081.25  upon  twenty-three 
head.  The  old  10th  Duchess,  in  calf,  but 
known  to  be  a  hazardous  risk,  fell  into  the  pos- 
session of  Maj.  S.  E.  Ward  of  Westport,  Mo., 
at  $1,350.  The  Canada  West  Farm  Stock  Asso- 
ciation was  the  heaviest  buyer,  taking  the  9th 
Duchess  of  Hillhurst  at  $8,500,  the  10th  at 
$7,100,  the  llth  at  $4,700,  and  Airdrie  Duchess 
at  $7,100.  The  '8th  Duke  of  Hillhurst  sold  at 
$3,025,  and  became  the  property  of  Col.  C.  A. 
DeGraff,  Janesville,  Minn.  Messrs.  Palmer  & 
Bowman,  proprietors  of  an  extensive  herd  at 
Saltville,  Va.,  purchased  Kirklevington  Mar- 
chioness 2d  at  $3,525. 

Richard  Gibson's  sale  of  1882. — A  number 
of  imported  Bates-bred  cattle  were  sold  at  auc- 
tion by  Richard  Gibson  at  Chicago  April  21, 
1882,  at  good  prices.  The  pure  Bates  heifer 
Duchess  Wild  Eyes  was  bought  by  Bigstaff, 
Bascom  &  Berry  of  Kentucky  at  $4,000.  Mr. 
Bigstaff  paid  $3,200  for  Rowfant  Kirklev- 
ington 5th.  B.  C.  Rumsey  purchased  Lady 
York  and  Thorndale  Bates  6th  at  $1,050  and  S. 
White,  Windsor,  Ont.,  Kirklevington  Duchess 
27th  at  $1,575.  For  Wild  Eyes  Winsome  4th 
H.  F.  Brown  gave  $1,850.  Hon.  Emory  Cobb 
took  the  bull  Oxford  Duke  (45297)  at  $2,000. 


714        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

There  was  included  in  this  offering  a  consign- 
ment the  property  of  Mr.  John  T.  Gibson  and 
the  average  on  forty-nine  head  offered  was 
1602.45.  This  sale  was  of  special  interest  as 
reflecting  the  intention  of  the  Kentucky  breed- 
ers to  put  the  market  for  the  so-called  pure 
Bates  cattle  well  above  the  ruling  prices  for 
those  carrying  outcrosses. 

Woodburn  sale  of  1882. — In  the  spring  of 
1882  Mr.  A.  J.  Alexander,  in  connection  with 
Mr.  Leslie  Combs  of  Woodford  Co.,  Ky.,  im- 
ported about  twenty  head  of  Bates-bred  cows 
and  heifers  and  two  bulls,  selected  from  noted 
English  herds  by  Mr.  Combs.  A  majority  of  the 
females  were  of  the  old  Red  Rose  tribe,  de- 
scended from  the  Renick  Rose  of  Sharons  that 
had  been  exported  to  England  some  years  pre- 
vious. These  were  bought  mainly  from  the  herd 
of  Mr.  George  Fox  of  Elmhurst  Hall.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  were  representatives  of  the  Hey- 
don  Rose  and  Thorndale  Rose  branches  of  the 
same  tribe,  bought  from  Lord  Braybrooke.  The 
cattle  were  offered  at  auction  at  Woodburn  June 
24, 1882,  along  with  a  lot  of  Mr.  Alexander's  own 
breeding;  the  ninety-two  head  bringing  an  av- 
erage of  $455.10.  Mr.  Abram  Renick,  who  was 
then  nearing  the  end  of  his  career  as  a  breeder, 
was  present  and  made  a  determined  effort  to  buy 
the  big,  fine  imported  roan  Thorndale  Rose  8th 
for  the  purpose  of  breeding  a  bull  from  her  for 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         715 

use  upon  his  Rose  of  Sharon  herd.  He  made  a 
plucky  fight,  carrying  the  bidding  up  to  $5,600, 
but  at  that  point  relinquished  her  to  a  repre- 
sentative of  Mr.  Alexander,  the  latter  having 
reserved  the  right  to  bid  upon  the  partnership 
lots.  Failing  in  his  purpose  at  this  time  Mr. 
Renick  afterward  bought  and  used  a  bull,  4th 
Duke  of  Roses  86034,  produced  by  this  cow  at 
Woodburn  to  a  service  by  2d  Duke  of  Whittle- 
berry  62574,  a  Duchess  bull  that  had  been  im- 
ported from  the  herd  of  R.  Loder.  Mr.  Alex- 
ander also  bought  at  this  sale  30th  Grand  Duke, 
a  calf  from  Thorndale  Rose  8th,  at  $2,025,  be- 
sides Thorndale  Rose  16th  and  Heydon  Rose 
7th  at  $4,000  and  $1,800  respectively.  At  this 
same  sale  S.  C.  Duncan  of  Missouri  gave  $1,100 
for  30th  Duke  of  Airdrie;  Mr.  T.  W.  Harvey  of 
Chicago  buying  the  33d  Duke  of  Airdrie,  a  cap- 
ital red  two-year-old,  at  $2,650,  and  Mr.  N".  P. 
Clarke  the  34th  Duke  at  $2,700.  For  imp.  Vis- 
count Oxford  5th  (45744)  Messrs.  Palmer  &  Bow- 
man of  Virginia  gave  $1,025.* 

*  At  a  sale  held  at  Winchester  the  following  week  VanMeter  &  Hamil- 
ton sold  sixty-nine  head  of  Short-horns  at  an  average  of  $395.35,  including 
the  Rose  of  Sharon  females  Poppy  17th,  Poppy's  Duchess  of  Sycamore  and 
13th  Rose  of  Sycamore,  the  first  going  to  Palmer  &  Bowman  at  $2,025  and 
the  second  and  third  to  T.  J.  McGowan  of  Mount  Sterling  at  $1,275  and  $1,200 
respectively.  The  day  following  this  sale  the  Messrs.  Hamilton  sold  at 
Mount  Sterling  forty-five  head  at  an  average  of  $368,  Williams  &  Hamilton 
taking  Loo  Belle  Geneva  3d  at  $1,675,  Kirklevington  Oneida  at  $1,525  and  2d 
Lady  Kirklevington  B.  at  $1,100.  The  day  following  this  offering  T.  Corwin 
Anderson  sold  forty-four  head  at  an  average  of  $419.65,  receiving  from 
Williams  &  Hamilton  $1,525  for  Kirklevington  Marchioness  and  $1,050  for 
Peach  Blossom  12th.  H.  M.  Vaile  of  Missouri  gave  $1,150  for  Kirklevington 
Duchess  23d  and  C.  C.  Chiles,  also  of  Missouri,  took  Peach  Blossom  llth  a' 
$1,263 


716         A   HISTORY    OF  SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

The  Huston-Gibson  sale. — In  April,  1883, 

Messrs.  Rigdon  Huston  &  Son  of  Blanclinsville, 
111.,  who  had  bought  the  entire  Bates-bred  herd 
of  Col.  Le  G.  B.  Cannon  of  Vermont,  held  a 
sale  at  Chicago  in  connection  with  Mr.  Rich- 
ard Gibson  at  which  some  high  prices  were 
made.  The  1st  Duchess  of  Hilldale  and  2d 
Kirklevington  Duchess  of  Hilldale  were  sold  to 
Strawther  Givens  of  Abingdon,  111.,  at  $6,000 
and  $1,900  respectively.  The  roan  heifer  Lally 
Barrington  6th  was  taken  by  Mr.  A.  J.  Alex- 
ander of  Woodburn  at  $3,000.  N.  P.  Clarke, 
St.  Cloud,  Minn.,  bought  Wild  Duchess  of  Ge- 
neva 3d  at  $2,100.  William  Murray  of  Can- 
ada paid  $1,650  for  Wild  Eyes  Lassie  3d.  The 
Messrs.  Winslow  of  Kankakee,  111.,  gave  $1,750 
for  Grand  Duchess  of  Waterloo.  B.  C.  Rumsey, 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  took  Lady  Turncroft  Wild  Eyes 
3d  and  Lady  York  and  Oxford  Bates  at  $1,500 
and  $1,200  respectively.  Mr.  T.  W.  Harvey  of 
Chicago,  who  had  established  a  herd  at  Turling- 
ton, Neb.,  with  33d  Duke  of  Airdrie  at  the  head, 
bought  Marchioness  of  Turncroft  and  Wild 
Eyes  Winsome  3d  at  $1,200  and  $1,050  respec- 
tively. Hon.  Emory  Cobb  of  Kankakee,  111., 
took  Grand  Duchess  of  Waterloo  2d  and  Lady 
York  and  Underley  Bates  at  $975  and  $800  re- 
spectively. George  Allen,  Allerton,  111.,  paid 
$3,500  for  1st  Duke  of  Hilldale  43429.  Gibson's 
offering  consisted  mainly  of  imported  stock. 


CLOSING   EVENTS    OF   THE    CENTURY.         717 

Palmer's  sale  of  Scotch  cattle. — On  April 
19,  1883,  there  occurred  an  unfortunate  clash 
between  the  Bow  Park  management  repre- 
senting Bates  cattle  on  one  hand  and  the 
late  Launcelot  Palmer  of  Missouri,  who  had 
been  a  buyer  and  exhibitor  of  the  Aberdeen- 
shire  sorts.  The  feeling  at  this  time  between 
the  rival  types  was  running  high,  and  as  neither 
party  to  this  conflict  of  sale  dates  would 
give  way,  the  occurrence  furnished  a  test  as  to 
the  prevailing  temper  of  Northern  breeders  in 
reference  to  the  Bates  and  Scotch  cattle.  The 
Bow  Park  sale  was  held  at  Glen  Flora  Farm,  a 
short  distance  north  of  Chicago,  and  the 
Palmer  sale  at  Dexter  Park,  Chicago  Union 
Stock  Yards.  The  most  active  breeders  of  the 
period  favored  the  Palmer  sale  with  their  com- 
pany, forcing  the  three-year-old  heifer  Mysie 
43d,  of  James  I.  Davidson's  breeding — sired  by 
Crown  Prince  of  Athelstane  2d  16585  out  of 
imp.  Mysie  36th  of  Mr.  Cruickshank's  breed- 
ing— up  to  11,950,  at  which  figure  she  was  bid 
off  by  Col.  Harris  for  account  of  Chas.  A.  De- 
Graff  of  Lake  Elysian  Farm,  Janesville,  Minn. 
De  Graff  had  for  several  years  been  a  pa- 
tron of  the  Bates  herds,  but  in  the  fall  of 
1882  had  bought  from  the  Hon.  John  Dryden 
the  imported  Scotch  bull  Baron  Surmise.  He 
also  took  the  imported  Cruickshank  cow  Art- 
less out  of  this  sale  at  $1,025.  Mr.  Robert 


718        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Miller  purchased  Evening  Star  2d,  anothei 
specimen  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Athelstane 
2d  cross  upon  a  Cruickshank  cow,  at  $1,000. 
Mr.  T.  W.  Harvey,  who  had  also  been  consid- 
ered as  partial  to  the  Bates  blood,  appeared 
here  as  a  bidder  upon  the  best  Scotch  cattle, 
buying  among  others  the  Brawith  Bud  cow 
Golden  Gem  at  $910.  Col.  W.  A.  Harris  pur- 
chased imp.  Barmpton  Violet  at  $780;  Mr.  H. 
F.  Brown  took  the  red  heifer  Lady  May  at 
$750;  J.  H.  Kissinger  bought  Nonpareil  40th  at 
$930,  and  Hon.  Pliny  Nichols  of  West  Liberty, 
la.,  became  the  owner  of  the  two-year-old  bull 
Earl  of  Aberdeen  45992  at  $1,000.  The  twenty- 
five  head  of  Scotch  breeding  sold  at  this  sale 
averaged  about  $625. 

While  the  Palmer  cattle  were  selling  quickly 
at  high  prices  to  a  large  and  enthusiastic  crowd 
at  Dexter  Park,  the  Bow  Park  sale  was  in  prog- 
ress at  Glen  Flora  before  a  small  company. 
Some  appreciative  buyers  were  present  never- 
theless, Mr.  A.  J.  Alexander  purchasing  the  red- 
roan  Oxford  heifer  Grand  Duchess  of  Oxford  52d 
at  $2,050,  and  Strawther  Givens  of  Illinois  Kirk- 
levington  Duchess  25th  at  $1,400.  A  majority 
of  the  cattle,  however,  sold  below  1500,  the 
thirty-six  head  making  an  average  of  $325.55. 

Kentucky  Importing  Company  of  1883. 
In  the  spring  of  1883  Messrs.  B.  F.  Van  Meter 
and  Leslie  Combs,  representing  the  Kentucky 


CLOSING   EVENTS    OF   THE   CENTURY.         719 

Importing  Co.,  selected  and  brought  out  from 
England  an  importation  of  thirty-four  head  of 
cows  and  heifers  and  two  bulls,  a  large  majority 
of  which  were  purchased  in  Scotland  from  the 
herds  of  Messrs.  Cruickshank,  Duthie  and  the 
Duke  of  Richmond.  These  were  the  only  Short- 
horns of  the  Aberdeenshire  tribes  ever  imported 
direct  from  Scotland  into  Kentucky.  A  half- 
dozen  head  of  Bates  females  were  also  included 
in  the  importation,  the  entire  lot  being  sold  at 
auction  at  Lexington  May  9  at  an  average  of 
$402.50.  The  Bates  heifer  Lady  Wild  Eyes  7th 
topped  the  sale  at  $1,000,  going  at  that  figure  to 
Woodburn.  The  Scotch  offerings  ranged  up  to 
$700,  paid  for  the  yearling  bull  Favorite  56041 
from  Collynie.  This  bull  and  a  number  of 
the  Scotch  heifers  were  bought  by  Messrs. 
Danforth  and  Veech  of  Louisville,  who  bred 
them  for  a  short  time  and  then  disposed  of 
most  of  them  to  Messrs.  Cummings  of  Illinois 
and  other  Northern  breeders. 

Sale  of  Pickrell.  Thomas  &  Smith.— Mr.  J. 
H.  Pickrell  had  meantime  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  Messrs.  Thomas  &  Smith  of  Kentucky 
and  the  firm  occupied  a  prominent  position  in 
the  trade  in  the  early  "eighties."  The  herd 
was  particularly  strong  in  the  Beck  Taylor 
branch  of  the  Young  Mary  tribe,  which  sup- 
plied many  prize-winners.  It  was  also  rich  in 
Rose  of  Sharons.  At  a  sale  made  in  June, 


720        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

1883,  at  Harristown,  111.,  the  firm  sold  seventy- 
two  head  at  an  average  of  $419.79.  Messrs. 
Hawkins  &  McDaniel  of  Miami,  Mo.,  gave  $1,100 
for  the  two-year-old  bull  Sharon  Geneva  and 
T.  W.  Harvey  paid  $1,000  for  Red  Rose  of  Glen- 
wood.  It  was  at  this  sale  that  Messrs.  C.  C. 
Blish  &  Son,  Kewanee,  111.,  purchased  the  red 
bull  calf  Dick  Taylor  of  Glenwood  at  $300.  He 
matured  into  a  good  show  bull  and  sire,  being 
successfully  exhibited  at  the  head  of  the  Blish 
herds  at  leading  Western  fairs  for  several 
years  and  also  siring  many  good  cattle  in  their 
Lee  Side  Herd.  This  Harristown  sale  was  not- 
able for  the  steadiness  of  the  values  main- 
tained. A  large  proportion  of  the  offerings 
made  from  $400  to  $600  each  and  the  high  av- 
erage merit  of  the  stock  was  the  theme  of  uni- 
versal comment. 

Kentucky  summer  sales  of  1883.— The 
breeders  of  the  blue-grass  country  remained 
loyal  to  the  Bates  blood  to  the  last.  They 
were  never  able  to  entirely  forget  the  service 
rendered  by  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730),  and 
even  at  this  period  when  Northern  breeders 
were  showing  a  marked  preference  for  the 
Scotch  type  the  Kentuckians  sustained  their 
interest  in  the  historic  Kirklevington  families. 
They  were  not  only  the  most  liberal  bidders  on 
all  Bates  cattle  offered  for  sale  in  the  Northern 
States  during  the  " eighties"  but  stood  together 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF   THE   CENTURY.         721 

at  home  whenever  representatives  of  their  fa- 
vorite blood  were  offered  at  auction. 

In  July,  1883,  Mr.  J.  V.  Grigsby  sold  a  fam- 
ily of  pure  Bates-Craggs  breeding,  a  sort  origi- 
nated by  the  Messrs.  Bell,  tenants  of  Mr.  Bates, 
for  one  of  which,  12th  Duchess  of  Crethmere, 
the  Messrs.  Hamilton  of  Mount  Sterling  gave 
$1,350.  For  1st  Duchess  of  Crethmere  Mr.  T. 
Corwin  Anderson  of  Side  View  Farm  gave 
$1,000,  and  for  10th  Duchess  of  Springwood 
Hon.  A.  M.  Bowman  of  Virginia  gave  a  like 
amount.  A  number  of  others  were  taken  by 
Southern  breeders  at  figures  but  slightly  below 
those  mentioned,  the  sixteen  females  averaging 
$855.93.  At  a  sale  made  about  the  same  date 
by  Messrs.  Estill  &  Hamilton  the  Rose  of  Sharon 
heifer  Sharon  Rose  2d  Geneva  fetched  $1,000 
from  James  C.  Hamilton  of  Flat  Creek. 

During  this  same  season  an  important  sale 
was  made  from  the  herd  of  Abram  Renick. 
The  cattle  represented  exclusively  his  cele- 
brated Rose  of  Sharon  sort,  and  were  taken 
mainly  by  Kentucky  breeders,  the  seventy  head 
bringing  an  average  of  $369.64.  The  top  price 
was  $1,050  for  Poppy  21st. 

Sale  of  the  Holford  Duchesses.  —  In  the 
summer  of  1883  Mr.  T.  Holford  of  Castle  Hill, 
Eng.,  sold  thirty-eight  head  of  Bates -bred 
Short-horns  at  an  average  of  $1,000;  Lord  Fitz- 
hardinge  paying  $4,500  for  the  3d  Duke  of  Lei- 

46 


722        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

cester  and  $5,750  for  3d  Duchess  of  Leicester. 
Earl  Bective  bought  Duchess  of  Leicester  at 
$7,525,  and  Airdrie  Duchess  7th,  of  American 
origin,  at  12,500.  Mr.  B.  C.  Rumsey  of  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  purchased  the  6th  Duchess  of  Leicester 
for  $1,775. 

Speaking  of  Duchesses  we  may  note  at  this 
point  that  during  this  same  year  the  8th  Duke 
of  Tregunter  that  had  been  exported  to  Aus- 
tralia was  sold  at  auction  in  that  country  at  a 
reported  price  of  $20,000! 

The  Hamiltons. — Probably  the  largest  han- 
dlers of  pure-bred  Short-horns  of  their  time  in 
the  State  of  Kentucky  were  the  Messrs.  Ham- 
ilton, extensive  owners  of  lands  in  Kentucky, 
Illinois  and  Missouri,  the  home  farm  being  at 
Flat  Creek,  Bath  Co.,  Ky.,  not  far  from  Mount 
Sterling.  Upon  this  farm  resided  the  broth- 
ers, George  and  James  C.  Hamilton,  the  latter 
being  regarded  as  a  breeder  of  unusual  skill. 
Short-horns  had  been  introduced  upon  Flat 
Creek  Farm  at  an  early  date,  and  when  the 
herd  first  came  prominently  before  the  public 
it  was  chiefly  noted  for  its  Marys  and  Jo- 
sephines. 

The  foundation  dam  of  the  most  noted  Ham- 
ilton family,  the  Flat  Creek  Marys,  was  the 
roan  Belle,  bred  by  William  Buckner  of  Bour- 
bon Co.,  Ky.,  and  bought  of  him  in  the  spring 
of  1861  by  J.  C.  arid  G.  Hamilton.  According  to 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         723 

the  herd  book  record  (Vol.  XX,  p.  15482)  she 
proved  remarkably  prolific,  most  of  her  heif- 
ers being  sired  by  the  Rose  of  Sharon  bull 
Bell  Sharon  9507  by  imp.  Duke  of  Airdrie.  In 
numerous  cases  Bell  Sharon  was  bred  back  to 
his  own  daughters.  Other  bulls  used  in  found- 
ing the  family  were  Earl  of  Barrington  23017 
and  Duke  of  Noxubee  9920.*  Messrs.  Hamil- 
ton were,  advocates  of  the  principle  of  in- 
breeding from  the  beginning,  and  double 
crosses  of  these  bulls  appear  frequently  in  the 
pedigrees  of  many  animals  of  their  produc- 
tion. It  was  calculated  in  the  spring  of  1884 
by  the  Messrs.  Hamilton  that  sales  of  this 
Mary  cow's  descendants  had  at  that  time  ag- 
gregated in  value  upward  of  $100,000! 

On  the  decline  in  values  of  Bates  tribes 
Messrs.  Hamilton  became  buyers  of  Duchesses, 
Kirklevingtons,  Barringtons,  Renick  Rose  of 
Sharons,  etc.,  breeding  largely  from  Duchess 
and  Barrington  bulls,  included  among  the  num- 
ber being  imp.  Grand  Duke  of  Geneva  23344 
and  20th  Duke  of  Airdrie  13872.  The  late  Mr. 
A.  L.  Hamilton,  son  of  George  Hamilton  and 
son-in-law  of  B.  F.  Van  Meter,  was  the  leading 

*Duke  of  Noxubee  appears  to  have  been  bred  by  Mr.  Simeon  Orr  of 
Mississippi.  He  was  descended  from  the  Bates-bred  cow  imp.  Darlington 
6th  by  4th  Duke  of  Oxford.  A  foot-note  in  a  catalogue  issued  by  Messrs. 
Sudduth  &  Redmon  of  Clark  Co.,  Ky.,  many  years  ago,  contained  the  rather 
remarkable  statement  that  this  bull  was  "  a  remarkable  breeder,  getting 
fine  calves  since  he  was  eighteen  years  old."  This  astonishing  statement, 
however,  lacks  confirmation. 


724        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

spirit  in  the  extensive  operations  of  the  Messrs. 
Hamilton  at  the  time  they  were  so  prominently 
before  the  public  some  fifteen  years  ago.  He 
had  a  brother,  W.  W.,  who  also  handled  the 
Flat  Creek  tribes,  and  a  member  of  a  collateral 
branch  of  the  Hamilton  family,  Col.  A.  W.  Ham- 
ilton, also  dealt  largely  in  Bates-bred  cattle  in 
partnership  with  the  late  Gen.  John  S.  Williams 
under  the  firm  name  of  Williams  &  Hamilton, 
Longwood  Farm,  Mount  Sterling.  Largely 
through  the  skill  and  judgment  of  Mr.  James 
C.  Hamilton — whose  patriarchal  appearance 
and  kindly  ways  earned  for  him  in  his  later 
years  the  universally  applied  title  of  "Uncle 
Jimmy" — the  home  herd  at  Flat  Creek  attained 
a  degree  of  individual  merit  that  gave  it  great 
prominence  among  the  leading  collections  of 
the  breed,  and  it  received  an  extended  patron- 
age from  the  North  and  West. 

Mr.  A.  L.  Hamilton,  who  had  established  him- 
self on  a  farm  near  Lexington,  to  which  he  gave 
the  name  of  Kirklevington — as  expressing  his 
adherence  to  Bates  blood — held  an  auction  sale 
June  11  and  12, 1884,  which  attracted  one  of  the 
largest  crowds  ever  seen  at  an  event  of  that 
character  in  the  West.  The  proprietor  was 
in  very  feeble  health  at  the  time,  and  this  was 
made  the  occasion  of  the  dispersion  of  a  large 
proportion  of  his  Short-horn  holdings.  The 
sale  continued  for  two  days  under  the  manage- 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         725 

ment  of  the  well-known  auctioneers,  Cols.  J. 
W.  Judy  and  L.  P.  Muir.*  An  extraordinary 
average  was  made.  The  roan  Airdrie  Duchess 
2d  was  bid  off  for  Mr.  Hamilton's  brother  at 
$4,225.  Mr.  Logan  0.  Swope  of  Independence, 
Mo.,  took  the  roan  heifer  2d  Duchess  of  Flat 
Creek  at  $7,000,  4th  Duchess  of  Flat  Creek  at 
$5,075,  Barrington  Lally  2d  at  $2,025, 4th  Duch- 
ess of  Kent  at  $4,700  and  Loo  Belle  Kent  at 
$1,675.  Mr.  H.  F.  Brown  of  Minneapolis  paid 
$3,550  for  the  red  two-year-old  bull  Duke  of 
Flat  Creek,  $1,775  for  Wild  Eyes  Duchess  7th 
and  $1,600  for  Wild  Eyes  Duchess  9th.  C.  M. 
Gifford  &  Sons  of  Milford,  Kan.,  bid  off  the 
Flat  Creek  Mary  cow,  Young  Mary  Duchess  2d, 
at  $2,275,  and  the  yearling  bull  Lord  Barring- 
ton  2d  at  $1,675.  The  Van  Meter  Mary  cow, 
Geneva  Mary  2d,  was  knocked  down  to  John 
Duncan,  Louisville,  at  $2,000.  Mr.  G.  L.  Chris- 
man  of  Independence,  Mo.,  was  an  active  coiri- 
petitor,  securing  the  yearling  4th  Duke  of  Kent 
at  $1,500,  the  red  cow  Barrington  Mary  2d  and 

*Col.  Muir  was  one  of  the  best-known  live-stock  auctioneers  of  his  day 
in  the  United  States.  A  resident  of  Kentucky,  he  shared  with  the  Short- 
horn breeders  of  the  blue-grass  country  their  profound  appreciation  for 
the  Bates  blood,  and  made  himself  a  leading:  authority  on  all  matters  con- 
nected  with  the  tribal  histories  of  Short- horns  of  Kirklevington  derivation. 
For  many  years  he  conducted  important  auction  sales  throughout  the 
Western  States,  and  on  the  occasion  of  the  purchase  of  the  American 
Short-horn  Herd  Book  by  the  Breeders'  Association  from  Lewis  F.  Allen 
was  made  editor  of  the  pedigree  register  in  Chicago.  Being  succeeded  in 
that  position  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Pickrell,  Col.  Muir  removed  to  Independence' 
Mo.,  conducting  numerous  auction  sales  and  retaining  his  interest  in 
Short-horn  breeding  until  his  death,  which  occurred  several  years  since  at 
that  place. 


726        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

a  Barrington  Lally  heifer  calf  at  $1,000  each. 
Wild  Eyes  Duchesses  5th  and  10th  were  knocked 
off  to  A.  C.  Briant,  Belton,  Mo.,  at  $2,000  and 
$1,730  respectively.  For  Wild  Eyes  Duchess 
4th  Corwin  Anderson  paid  $1,050.  For  Mary 
Barrington,  of  the  Van  Meter  Mary  sort,  J.  H. 
Bacon,  Weaver,  la.,  gave  $1,000.  The  average 
on  the  109  head  sold  was  $832.30. 

On  the  day  following  this  memorable  sale 
Messrs.  Williams  &  Hamilton  sold  fifty-two 
head  at  Lexington  for  an  average  of  $396.35, 
the  highest  prices  being  $1,100;  paid  by  T.  Cor- 
win Anderson  for  Kirklevington  Marchioness, 
and  $1,060,  paid  by  H.  C.  G.  Bals  of  Indianapo- 
lis for  3d  Lady  Kirklevington  B. 

On  Oct.  24  and  25,  1884,  ninety-seven  head 
of  cattle  were  sold  at  auction  on  the  home  farm 
at  Flat  Creek  to  close  the  estate  of  Mr.  J.  C. 
Hamilton,  who  had  died  a  short  time  previous. 
The  extraordinary  average  of  $840.57  was 
made,  although  such  a  result  would  not  have 
been  attained  but  for  the  fact  that  various 
members  of  the  family  were  permitted  to  bid. 
It  was  here  that  Messrs.  Palmer  &  Bowman  of 
Virginia  bought  the  red  bull  2d  Duke  of  Kent 
51119  at  $6,100  and  the  red-roan  Airdrie  Duch- 
ess 10th  at  $6,200,  taking  also  8th  Duchess  of 
Kent  at  $4,050  and  10th  Duchess  of  Kent  at 
$1,600.  Messrs.  Williams  &  Hamilton  bought 
Barrington  Duchess  2d  and  3d  Duchess  of  Kent 


*     CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         727 

at  $5,000  each.  They  also  bought  Barrington 
Lally  5th  at  $3,500,  Barrington  Lally  6th  at 
$3,000,  and  3d  Duke  of  Kent  at  $2,600.  Geo. 
Hamilton  bid  off  7th  Duchess  of  Kent  at  $3,500. 
A.  L.  Hamilton  took  5th  Duchess  of  Kent  at 
$2,250,  and  Col.  J.  W.  Judy  got  Young  Mary 
Duchess  at  $1,225.  Berry  &  Bigstaff  of  Mount 
Sterling  paid  $1,230  for  Barrington  Duke  37622. 
Col,  W.  A.  Harris  of  Linwood. — The  real 
leader  of  the  Scotch  forces  in  the  United  States 
during  the  "eighties"  was  Col.  W.  A.  Harris  of 
Linwood,  Leavenworth  Co.,  Kan.  Few  men 
possessing  like  strength  of  character  have  ever 
given  their  personal  attention  to  the  breeding 
of  Short-horns  in  the  United  States.  Of  Vir- 
ginia parentage,  he  removed  to  the  State  of 
Kansas  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War. 
He  first  followed  his  profession — that  of  a  civil 
engineer — in  the  employ  of  the  Kansas  Pacific 
Railway  Co.,  assisting  in  the  location  of  that 
branch  of  the  Union  Pacific  from  Kansas  City 
to  Denver.  He  had  an  inherited  love  for 
country  life  and  pastoral  pursuits,  and  while 
surveying  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Kansas 
River  some  twenty-seven  miles  west  of  Kansas 
City,  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  beautiful 
body  of  "  second  bottom  "  and  upland,  the  loca- 
tion of  which  was  carefully  noted  at  the  time. 
He  subsequently  acquired  the  title  to  this  prop- 
erty, and  after  residing  some  time  in  Lawrence 


728        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

9 

— where  he  had  charge  of  the  sale  of  the  Kan- 
sas Pacific  Railway  lands  and  the  closing  out  of 
the  Delaware  Indian  Reservation— he  built  a 
residence  upon  the  farm  afterward  so  celebra- 
ted in  the  Western  Short-horn  trade  under  the 
name  of  Lin  wood,  and  for  some  years  gave 
practically  his  entire  time  to  the  establishment 
of  a  herd  which  in  its  prime  was  probably  the 
equal  of  any  that  has  ever  existed  in  North 
America. 

At  the  time  Col.  Harris  made  his  first  invest- 
ments in  Short-horns  his  personal  relations  with 
the  Kentuckians  were  of  the  friendliest,  and  he 
was  made  a  director  in  their  American  Short- 
horn Record  Association.  He  realized  that  in 
the  Western  country  Short-horns,  to  give  sat- 
isfaction to  the  hard-working  farmers  of  that 
region,  must  possess  sound  constitutions  and 
satisfactory  feeding  capacity.  The  leading  Ken- 
tucky breeders  of  the  period,  while  holding  Col. 
Harris  in  the  highest  regard,  did  not  relish  his 
outspoken  criticism  of  many  of  their  herds, 
many  of  which  he  considered  too  fine  and  del- 
icate for  practical  Western  feed-lot  purposes. 
He  had  no  patience  with  those  who  gave  their 
adherence  to  mere  pedigree,  and  proceeded  to 
lay  the  foundations  of  his  own  herd  with  su- 
preme disregard  of  all  things  except  genuine 
merit  in  the  individual  animal.  For  some  years 
he  made  occasional  purchases  of  breeding  ani- 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE    CENTURY.         729 

mals  in  the  blue-grass  country,  but  he  faulted 
most  of  the  Southern  herds  of  that  date  as 
wanting  in  substance  and  flesh.  Now  and  then 
he  found  a  heifer  that  suited  him  fairly  well, 
and  in  such  cases  was  always  willing  to  pay  a 
liberal  price.  Early  in  his  career  as  a  breeder 
he  had  secured  the  excellent  red  bull  Golden 
Drop  of  Hillhurst  39120,  bred  by  Col.  W.  E. 
Simmes  of  Bourbon  Co.,  Ky.,  by  whom  he  was 
sold  to  J.  C.  Stone  Jr.  of  Leavenworth,  Kan. 
This  bull  had  two  Bates  crosses  (4th  Duke  of 
Hillhurst  21509  and  7th  Earl  of  Oxford  9985) 
on  top  of  the  Scotch-bred  Wastell's  Golden 
Drop  4th  by  Sir  Christopher  (22895).  He  pos- 
sessed the  finish,  style  and  character  common 
to  the  Bates  tribes,  together  with  more  than 
the  usual  amount  of  flesh  shown  by  the  latter- 
day  representatives  of  that  blood,  and  proved 
a  useful  sire.  When  it  became  necessary  to 
secure  a  successor  to  him  a  careful  but  unsuc- 
cessful search  was  made  for  a  bull  in  the  State 
of  Kentucky.  This  was  in  the  early  spring  of 
1882.  On  May  3  of  that  year  Mr.  j!  H.  Kissin- 
ger of  Missouri  made  a  public  sale  at  which  he 
offered  several  head  of  Cruickshank  cattle  that 
he  had  purchased  a  short  time  before  in  Canada. 
Favorably  predisposed  toward  the  Scotch  blood, 
as  a  result  of  his  use  of  the  Golden  Drop  bull 
above  mentioned,  and  firm  in  the  belief  that 
Short-horn  breeders  generally  must  pay  more 


730        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

attention  to  form  and  feeding  quality  if  they 
were  to  hold  their  own  throughout  the  West, 
Col.  Harris  attended  this  sale.  These  imported 
cattle  were  the  best  specimens  of  Cruickshank 
breeding  he  had  ever  seen,  and  much  impressed 
by  their  sturdy  character  he  bought  the  year- 
ling Victoria  bull  imp.  Baron  Victor  (45944)  at 
11,100;  the  big,  broad-backed  roan  imp.  Victoria 
63d  at  $530;  the  smaller  but  thick-fleshed  imp. 
Violet  Bud  at  $450,  and  the  compactly-fashioned 
red-roan  imp.  Victoria  69th  at  $390.*  Baron 
Victor  was  a  blocky,  broad-ribbed,  short-legged, 
mellow,  thick-fleshed  red,  strong  in  head  and 
horn,  but  standing  very  near  to  the  ground. 
He  was  sired  by  Barmpton  (37763)  out  of  the 
fine  cow  Victoria  58th  by  Pride  of  the  Isles; 
second  dam  Victoria  43d  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land. 

Success  of  Baron  Victor. — Victoria  69th  of 
this  purchase  did  not  turn  out  a  good  invest- 
ment, but  Victoria  63d's  first  calf — a  grand 
roan  heifer  by  Baron  Victor,  dropped  Nov.  1, 
1882 — developed  into  a  yearling  with  an  aston- 
ishing wealth  of  substance,  flesh  and  hair.  No 
such  calf  had  ever  before  been  seen  upon  the 
farm,  and  much  as  he  disliked  to  part  with  her 
Col.  Harris  decided  to  consign  her  to  the  Inter- 

*  At  this  same  sale  Messrs.  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son  purchased  the  imported 
Sitty  ton  Secret  cow  Sempstress  at  $585  and  Gloxinia  at  $420.  For  imp.  Acorn 
2d  the  late  Latmcelot  Palmer  paid  $505  and  for  Beauty's  Pride  and  Carrie 
$400  each. 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE    CENTURY.         731 

state  Breeders'  sale  held  at  Kansas  City  in  the 
fall  of  1884,  where  she  proved  the  sensation  of 
the  day  and  commanded  the  top  price  of  $1,005, 
being  purchased  by  the  late  Samuel  Steinmetz 
of  Missouri.  Breeders  from  many  different 
States  gathered  around  this  burly -bodied, 
short-legged  Scotch  heifer  and  large  numbers 
of  them  for  the  first  time  here  realized  that  an 
element  of  undoubted  value  had  now  been  in- 
troduced into  the  Western  trade.  Linwood 
Victoria's  irresistible  demonstration  of  the 
feeding  quality  of  the  Cruickshank  sort  was 
backed  up  at  this  same  sale  by  the  young  bull 
The  Baronet  58250 — got  by  Baron  Victor  out  of 
a  Flat  Creek  Mary  dam — a  calf  of  rare  thickness 
and  finish,  finding  quick  sale  at  1500  to  F.  C. 
Harris,  son-in-law  of  Launcelot  Palmer,  Stur- 
geon, Mo.  The  Baronet  developed  into  one  of 
the  best  show  bulls  of  his  day  in  the  Western 
States,  winning  prizes  at  the  head  of  the  herd 
of  Newton  Winn. 

The  first  crop  of  calves  from  Baron  Victor  sat- 
isfied Col.  Harris  that  he  was  on  the  right  track, 
and  he  took  immediate  steps  to  increase  his 
stock  of  breeding  females  of  Scotch  extraction. 
He  purchased  from  James  I.  Davidson  imp.  Sor- 
rel, by  Roan  Gauntlet;  imp.  Marsh  Violet,  by 
Pride  of  the  Isles;  imp.  Barmpton  Violet,  by 
Royal  Violet;  imp.  Lavender  32d,  by  Roan  Gaunt- 
let; imp.  Gladiolus,  by  Pride  of  the  Isles;  the 


732         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

massive  light  roan  imp.  Golden  Thistle,  by  Roan 
Gauntlet;  imp.  Lavenders  33d,  34th,  36th;  imp. 
Sapphire,  and  from  Mr.  William  Warfield  of 
Kentucky  the  good  heifer  Primrose,*  derived 
from  imp.  Portulacca.  In  the  meantime  the 
Baron  Victor  bulls  from  these  and  the  Ameri- 
can-bred cows  in  the  herd  became  the  admira- 
tion of  the  entire  American  Short-horn  cattle- 
breeding  fraternity.  Almost  without  exception 
they  developed  into  richly-fleshed,  short-leg- 
ged, low-flanked,  easy-keeping  bulls  that  served 
to  convince  a  large  majority  of  the  breeders  of 
the  Missouri  Valley  States  that  the  Linwood 
plan  of  breeding  was  correct.  They  were  in 
demand  at  from  $300  to  $600,  not  only  through- 
out the  West  but  as  far  East  as  Ohio,  for  the 
purpose  of  heading  good  herds. 

In  connection  with  Baron  Victor  there  was 
used  at  Linwood,  among  other  well-bred  Cruick- 
shank  sires,  the  red  Barbarossa  68197,  bought 
from  Mr.  Davidson,  sired  by  Cumberland  out  of 
Barmpton  Spray  by  Caesar  Augustus.  He  was 
sold  to  Mr.  Charles  E.  Leonard  of  Missouri  and 
used  extensively  in  the  old-established  herd  at 
Ravenswood.  Another  bull  that  achieved  rep- 
utation both  as  a  stock-getter  and  prize-winner 
was  imp.  Double  Gloster  (49383),  a  red,  sired  by 

•This  Warfield  heifer  bred  to  Baron  Victor  produced  the  handsome 
mellow-handling  red  prize  bull  Dr.  Primrose  of  the  Williams  &  House- 
holder show  herd.  Another  Linwood-bred  show-yard  favorite  in  that 
same  collection  was  the  Baron  Victor  heifer  Baroness 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.          733 

Barmpton  out  of  24th  Duchess  of  Gloster  by 
Lord  of  the  Isles.  Double  Gloster  was  eold  to 
William  P.  Higinbotham,  whose  Blue  Valley 
Herd  at  Manhattan  Kan.,  was  for  several  years 
one  of  the  best-known  collections  of  the  breed 
west  of  the  Missouri  River.  Meantime  Col.  Har- 
ris became  the  heaviest  buyer  of  imported 
Cruickshank  heifers  in  the  States,  securing  the 
pick  of  all  of  James  I.  Davidson's  extensive  im- 
portations of  that  period  from  Sittyton.  He 
obtained  from  this  source  and  transferred  to 
the  "sunny  slopes  of  Linwood"  such  females 
as  Lady  of  the  Meadow,  by  Chancellor;  Barmp- 
ton Crocus,  by  same  sire;  Lavender  38th,  by 
Dunblane;  the  26th,  27th  and  28th  Duchesses  of 
Gloster,  sired  by  Perfection,  Chancellor  and 
Cumberland  respectively;  Lovely  41st  and  Wood 
Violet,  by  Cumberland;  Victoria  76th,  by  Vik- 
ing; Stephanotis,  a  grand  roan,  by  Dunblane; 
Vera  and  Lady  of  Shalott,  both  by  same  bull; 
March  Violet,  by  Chancellor,  and  others.  He 
also  bought  from  Messrs.  Potts  Lady  Athel- 
stane  of  Oakland,  by  Duke  of  Richmond  out  of 
imp.  Red  Lady,  and  from  Cummings  of  Buda, 
111.,  a  Sittyton  Victoria  of  the  Lowman  &  Smith 
sort. 

The  Linwood  Golden  Drops. — Possibly  his 
most  fortunate  selection,  however,  in  the  way 
of  breeding  females  was  the  grand  roan  Nor- 
ton's Golden  Drop,  bred  by  C.  W.  Norton  of 


734        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Iowa  in  1880  from  the  Bates  bull  imp.  Under- 
ley  Wild  Eyes  31312  out  of  imp.  Golden  Drop 
4th,  imported  from  the  Kinellar  herd  by  J.  S. 
Thompson,  and  also  known  as  WastelFs  Golden 
Drop  4th.  (See  records  Vols.  XII  and  XX  A. 
S.-H.  B.)  Norton  had  procured  the  imported 
cow  from  Mr.  McCune  of  Solon,  la.  This 
Bates-crossed  Scotch  Golden  Drop  was  strong- 
backed,  heavy-quartered  and  deep-bodied,  with 
a  feminine  head  and  neck  and  good  dairy  qual- 
ities. Bred  to  the  impressive  Baron  Victor  she 
gave  Col.  Harris  the  best  females  he  ever  pro- 
duced, notwithstanding  his  repeated  "topping" 
of  the  Cruickshank  importations  of  the  "eight- 
ies/7 Indeed,  the  Lin  wood  Golden  Drops,  with 
their  beautiful  finish,  their  wealth  of  flesh,  sub- 
stance and  character  constituted,  in  the  opinion 
of  some  of  our  best  judges,  the  most  superb 
family  of  Short-horn  cattle  of  their  time  in  the 
United  States. 

Baron  Lavender  2d.  —  Probably  the  best 
Cruickshank  cow  ever  owned  at  Linwood  was 
imp.  Lavender  36th.  She  was,  indeed,  a  noble 
specimen  of  Mr.  Cruickshank's  best  type,  pos- 
sessing grand  scale,  astonishing  breadth,  depth 
and  thickness  of  rich  flesh.  Unfortunately  this 
royal  specimen  of  her  race  had  such  an  irre- 
pressible tendency  to  take  on  flesh  that  she  be- 
came barren  in  her  very  prime  and  was  finally 
sent  to  the  butcher.  In  the  autumn  of  1885 


CLOSING   EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.         735 

this  wonderful  cow  had  dropped  to  a  service  by 
Baron  Victor  the  handsome  red-roan  bull  calf 
Baron  Lavender  2d  72610.  He  was  a  youngster 
of  extraordinary  promise  from  the  start,  but 
the  loss  of  his  dam  not  then  being  anticipated 
he  was  sold  at  a  good  price  to  head  a  local  herd. 
When  it  was  discovered  that  his  mother  would 
no  longer  breed  Col.  Harris  bought  back  Baron 
Lavender  2d,  and  it  is  speaking  within  bounds 
to  state  that  this  bull  was  by  odds  the  greatest 
of  all  the  many  capital  bulls  bred  at  Linwood. 
A  widespread,  massive,  low-legged,  richly-fur- 
nished animal  of  strong  character,  Baron  Lav- 
ender 2d  was  probably  the  peer  of  any  bull  of 
the  breed  yet  produced  on  this  side  the  Atlan- 
tic. It  has  always  been  a  matter  for  sincere 
regret  that  his  period  of  service  in  the  fine 
herd  at  Linwood  was  so  short. 

Another  valuable  Lavender  bull  by  Baron 
Victor  was  the  golden-skinned  Baron  Lavender 
3d  78854,  out  of  imp.  Lavender  38th.  He  was 
a  thick-set,  mellow  bull  of  beautiful  quality, 
sold  to  William  P.  Higinbotham,  and  by  him 
to  S.  F.  Lockridge  of  Indiana. 

Imp.  Craven  Knight. — Considerable  diffi- 
culty had  been  met  with  in  finding  a  bull  to 
breed  upon  Baron  Victor's  heifers.  In  addition 
to  Barbarossa  and  Double  Gloster,  Col.  Harris 
imported  two  young  bulls  of  Mr.  Cruickshank's 
own  selection,  one  of  which,  Master  of  the 


736         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Rolls  99643,  got  some  good  stock,  but  neither 
of  them  seemed  just  what  was  wanted,  and 
they  were  given  a  short  trial  and  sold.  Subse- 
quently he  bought  probably  the  handsomest 
Cruickshank  bull  ever  seen  in  the  Western 
States,  imp.  Craven  Knight  96923,  imported  for 
Luther  Adams,  Storm  Lake,  la.,  and  sired  by 
Cumberland  out  of  Golden  Autumn  by  Barmp- 
ton.*  Craven  Knight  was  a  short-legged, 
evenly-built  red  of  rare  symmetry  and  finish, 
having  a  good  head,  a  first-class  middle-piece 
and  remarkable  hind  quarters.  It  was  be- 
lieved at  Linwood  when  Craven  Knight  was 
obtained  (along  with  another  selection  of  im- 
ported Sittyton  heifers  of  Luther  Adams' 
importation)  that  a  worthy  successor  to  Baron 
Victor  had  been  found.  His  first  calves,  how- 
ever, did  not  begin  to  develop  quite  early  enough 
to  satisfy  the  exacting  requirements  of  the  pro- 
prietor, and  before  the  bull's  value  was  real- 
ized he  was  sold  to  the  Kansas  Agricultural 
College  at  Manhattan,  only  to  be  rescued  and 

*William  Miller,  who  imported  Craven  Knight,  says:  "Among  the  best 
of  the  Sittyton  cows  at  the  time  of  my  last  visit  were  Victoria  58th  and 
Golden  Autumn.  As  I  saw  them  tied  in  a  double  stall  together  they  were 
cows  of  a  good  deal  the  same  character,  rather  small,  but  character  and 
quality  all  over  (red).  The  58th  was  dam  of  two  I  brought  out,  as  well 
as  of  Baron  Victor,  to-wit. :  Arthur  Johnston's  Indian  Chief,  so  noted  as 
a  getter,  and  Victoria  80th  that  I  kept  for  myself,  but  did  no  good.  The 
other  was  dam  of  Craven  Knight  that  was  my  choice  of  the  Sittyton  bull 
calves  of  that  year,  and  I  would  not  have  got  him  out  had  Cruickshank  not 
promised  Harris  two  bulls  and  two  heifers  which  he  could  only  send  out 
by  me,  and  I  told  him  I  would  not  bring  them  unless  he  gave  me  first  choice 
of  his  bull  calves." 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         737 

restored  at  the  head  of  the  herd  several  years 
later,  after  repeated  efforts  and  the  expenditure 
of  large  sums  of  money  in  endeavoring  to  find 
satisfactory  stock  bulls.  The  ultimate  verdict 
was  that  had  Craven  Knight  received  full  op- 
portunity he  would  possibly  have  equaled  the 
record  of  Baron  Victor  as  a  sire. 

A  search  for  sires. — Another  imported  bull 
tested  at  Lin  wood  was  the  red  Thistletop  83876, 
imported  in  1885  by  Mr.  Davidson.  He  left 
some  good  stock,  among  others  the  bulls  El 
Sabio  103105,  used  some  before  being  sold,  and 
Thistlewood  95417,  from  imp.  Victoria  63d— 
the  last  sire  used  in  the  herd  of  J.  H.  Potts  & 
Son.  A  trial  was  also  made  of  imp.  Eoyal 
Pirate  100640,  imported  direct  from  Sittyton 
and  sired  by  Gondolier  98287  out  of  Victoria 
77th  by  Dunblane.  This  was  a  bull  of  great 
scale,  with  a  remarkable  back,  but  scarcely  as 
compactly  fashioned  as  the  best  of  the  Scotch 
type. 

Several  other  home-bred  bulls  were  tested. 
One  of  these,  Lord  Mayor  112727,  was  a  good 
red,  sired  by  Baron  Lavender  2d  out  of  imp. 
Lady  of  the  Meadow,  one  of  the  best  breeding 
matrons  of  the  herd.  It  was  from  Lord  Mayor 
and  old  Norton's  Golden  Drop  that  the  red 
Golden  Lord  119422,  chief  stock  sire  in  service 
at  the  dispersion  of  the  herd,  was  produced. 
Galahad  103259,  a  short-legged,  well-fleshed  red 

47 


738        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

—one  of  the  few  animals  sired  by  imp.  Master 
of  the  Kolls  99463— out  of  Galanthus,  daughter 
of  imp.  Gladiolus,  was  also  largely  used  toward 
the  last.  He  had  been  sold  when  young  to 
Messrs.  Hawk  of  Beattie,  Kan.,  but  developed 
such  typical  Scotch  thrift  and  thickness  that 
he  was  bought  back  for  stock  purposes.  He 
was  a  medium-sized  bull  of  much  quality,  and 
proved  a  useful  sire.  We  should  also  mention 
the  roan  Lord  Athol  122011— by  Golden  Knight 
out  of  the  Potts-bred  Lady  Athelstane  of  Lin- 
wood  by  imp.  Knight  Templar  66658 — that  got 
from  Princess  Alice  a  high-priced  bull  presently 
to  be  mentioned. 

It  is  doubtful  if  the  history  of  Short-horn 
breeding  in  the  United  States  affords  a  more 
striking  illustration  of  enterprise  in  endeavor- 
ing to  secure  stock  bulls  of  the  highest  possible 
merit  than  is  furnished  by  the  record  of  Lin- 
wood  Farm.  In  addition  to  the  various  bulls 
above  named,  many  of  which  were  bought  at 
strong  prices,  the  champion  show  bull  imp. 
Cupbearer  91223  was  leased  from  Luther  Adams 
and  tried,  but  with  disappointing  results.  From 
Milton  E.  Jones,  Williamsville,  111.,  the  mellow- 
skinned,  short-legged  red  Spartan  Hero  77932 
was  hired  and  used  with  a  fair  degree  of  suc- 
cess. This  bull  was  of  Sittyton  breeding,  im- 
ported by  Mr.  Davidson  and  sold  to  Messrs. 
Cookson  of  Iowa.  He  was  sired  by  Barmpton 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.          739 

out  of  the  Secret  cow  Souvenir  by  Royal  Duke 
of  Gloster. 

Col.  Harris  was  convinced  toward  the  close  of 
his  breeding  operations  that  the  Sittyton  cattle 
stood  in  need  of  fresh  blood.  In  1892  he  made 
a  tour  of  England  and  Scotland,  visiting  the 
Royal  show  at  Warwick  and  spending  some 
time  with  Messrs.  Duthie,  Cruickshank  and 
Marr  in  Aberdeenshire.  He  found  that  his 
judgment  in  this  regard  did  not  differ  from 
that  of  the  best-informed  authorities  in  Great 
Britain,  but  at  the  same  time  he  saw  nothing 
upon  that  trip  which  seemed  to  him  likely  to 
cross  with  the  Linwood  cows' and  heifers  with 
better  prospects  of  success  than  a  sort  already 
within  the  limits  of  the  Linwood  pastures  at 
home.  He  therefore  determined  to  test  bulls 
bred  from  the  Linwood  Golden  Drops,  selecting 
for  that  purpose  the  roan  Golden  Pirate  103411, 
the  red-roan  Golden  Knight  108086,  and  the  red 
Golden  Lord  119422.  Some  fresh  blood  was 
also  obtained  through  another  channel — the 
fine  Collynie  cow  now  to  be  mentioned. 

Princess  Alice.— In  the  purchase  of  this  su- 
perb daughter  of  Field  Marshal  the  proprietor 
of  Linwood  gave  further  .evidence  of  his  good 
judgment  and  great  enterprise.  Princess  Alice 
was  beyond  question  one  of  the  greatest  cows 
produced  by  the  Short-horn  breed  during  the 
closing  years  of  the  century,  adding  to  Field 


740        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Marshal's  European  fame  by  producing  at  Lin- 
wood  some  of  the  best  stock  bulls  used  in  the 
United  States  in  the  recent  past.  Selected  and 
imported  by  William  Miller  for  Luther  Adams, 
and  a  champion  female  at  Western  State 
fairs  in  her  yearling  form,  she  was  bought  by 
John  Hope  of  Bow  Park  at  the  Lakeside  dis- 
persion at  Chicago  in  1889.  Col.  Harris  pur- 
chased her  shortly  afterward,  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  she  was  one  of  the  chief  ornaments 
of  the  herd  that  grazed  the  luxuriant  pastures 
of  Linwood. 

Bred  to  Craven  Knight  she  produced  in  1891 
the  roan  Young  Marshal  110705.  As  a  yearling 
he  was  broad,  low  and  thick,  and  was  sold  to 
L.  W.  Brown  &  Son,  Sangamon  Co.,  111.,  who 
fitted  him  for  the  World's  Columbian  Exposi- 
tion at  Chicago  in  1893.  winning  first  prize  in 
the  class  for  two-year-old  bulls  over  thirteen 
competitors.  He  subsequently  passed  into  the 
possession  of  Mr.  Aaron  Barber,  Avon,  N.  Y., 
in  whose  hands  he  sired  some  of  the  best  show 
cattle  seen  on  the  American  circuit  during  the 
past  ten  years,  besides  winning  prizes  himself 
at  the  head  of  the  Avon  herd.  While  he  grew 
somewhat  uneven  in. his  flesh  on  account  of  his 
early  forcing  for  the  Columbian,  he  was  a  bull 
of  strong  character  and  outstanding  substance. 
In  January,  1892,  Alice  gave  birth  to  the  roan 
calf  Prince  Royal  118305,  by  Craven  Knight,  a 


CLOSING    EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         741 

bull  of  fine  promise  that  was  sold  for  service  in 
the  herd  of  Thomas  H.  Mastin  of  Kansas  City. 
To  a  service  by  imp.  Spartan  Hero  the  Princess 
produced  in  December,  1892,  the  roan  Royal 
Hero  113611,  that  grew  into  a  massive,  mellow- 
fleshed  bull  that  had  the  distinguished  honor  of 
winning,  as  recently  as  1899,  for  Messrs.  Miller 
of  Indiana  the  championship  of  America  at  the 
Illinois  State  Fair  in  his  seven-year-old  form; 
and  at  the  same  show  one  of  his  daughters,  the 
beautiful  roan  Sallie  Girl,*  was  champion  fe- 
male; the  double  winning  constituting  an 
achievement  unique  in  the  annals  of  the 
Western  show-yard.  In  1893  Princess  Alice 
produced  Eoyal  Knight  117203,  red  with  white 
marks — sired  by  the  Golden  Drop  bull  Golden 
Knight  108086— that  was  good  enough  to  be 
used  for  a  time  at  Linwood. 

Alice  had  bred  two  fine  heifers  to  services  by 
Craven  Knight  before  she  settled  down  to  the 
bull  trade;  one  known  as  Alice  Maude,  that 
was  bought  from  Luther  Adams  for  export  to 
Mexico,  and  the  other  the  rich-fleshed,  sappy 
Fairy  Queen,  calved  at  Linwood  in  1890,  and 
shown  successfully  by  Col.  Harris.  These  were 
both  paragons  of  Short-horn  excellence,  but 
the  one  went  abroad  and  the  other  failed  to 
breed.  The  old  cow  was  finally  sold  at  a  good 

*  Sallie  Girl  was  descended  on  the  dam's  side  through  such  noted  bulls 
as  Dick  Taylor  5608,  Loudon  Duke  3097  and  imp  Duke  of  Airdrie,  from  imp 
Gem  by  Broker. 


742         A   HISTORY   OF  SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

price  to  Col.  T.  S.  Moberley  of  Kentucky,  along 
with  a  heifer  calf  (Alice  of  Forest  Grove)  by 
Galahad  at  foot.  She  was  at  the  time  in 
calf  to  the  young  Linwood-bred  Lord  Athol 
122011,  and  with  this  service  resumed  bull 
breeding,  giving  her  Kentucky  buyer  the  red 
Alice's  Prince  122593.  At  the  Moberley  disper- 
sion the  cow  and  bull  calf  were  purchased  by 
E.  B.  Mitchel  &  Son,  Danvers,  Til.,  who  sold 
Alice's  Prince  to  Messrs.  Wallace  of  Missouri, 
from  whom  he  has  recently  been  bought  by 
Mr.  Aaron  Barber  at  a  reported  price  of  $2,000. 
The  Galahad  heifer  went  to  Texas.  The  old 
Princess  finished  her  extraordinary  career  of 
usefulness  by  giving  the  Messrs.  Mitchell,  in 
1897,  the  white  bull  Prince  Armour  127794,  by 
Baron  Cruickshank  3d  117968,  that  has  main- 
tained the  credit  of  his  family  during  the  past 
two  seasons  by  repeated  winnings  on  the  West- 
ern circuit.  The  virtual  loss  of  the  three  heif- 
ers mentioned  was  little  short  of  a  calamity  to 
the  breed. 

Linwood's  salutary  influence. — No  man  ever 
undertook  the  promotion  of  Short-horn  inter- 
ests more  earnestly  or  unselfishly  than  Col. 
Harris.  A  man  of  strong  convictions,  sincere, 
honest,  aggressive  and  convincing  in  advocacy 
of  what  he  believed  to  be  right,  his  influence  as 
a  breeder  and  as  a  director  of  the  Herd-Book 
Association  upon  the  course  of  Short-horn 


-  o 


-a 

9    ft 


CLOSING    EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         748 

breeding  in  America  during  the  period  follow- 
ing the  speculative  "boom'7  of  the  "seventies" 
was  perhaps  greater  than  that  of  any  other  one 
man  identified  with  the  trade  from  1882  to  1895, 
and  was  ever  on  the  side  of  reason  and  sound 
practice.  It  was  generally  conceded  that  Lin- 
wood  at  its  best  was  the  outstanding  herd 
of  the  United  States,  and  foreign  visitors  ques- 
tioned if  it  had  a  superior  in  Great  Britain.  It 
was  for  a  time  the  Mecca  toward  which  Western 
breeders  directed  their  steps  in  quest  of  stock 
sires.  While,  the  surplus  was  usually  disposed 
of  at  good  prices  at  private  treaty,  the  herd 
was  maintained  for  the  most  part  during  a 
period  when  values  of  pedigreed  cattle  were  at 
a  comparatively  low  ebb.  Nevertheless  sev- 
eral successful  public  sales  were  made  at  Chi- 
cago, Kansas  City  and  Manhattan,  Kan. 

Affairs  agricultural,  however,  were  drifting 
from  bad  to  worse.  After  the  financial  panic 
of  1893,  discouraged  by  the  profound  and 
widespread  depression,  and  now  confronted  by 
many  difficulties  in  his  efforts  at  sustaining  the 
merit  of  the  herd  at  its  former  level,  the  pro- 
prietor at  length  listened  to  the  call  of  the 
people  of  his  adopted  State  and  consented  to 
serve  them,  first  in  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives and  later  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States.  Under  these  circumstances  the  disper- 
sion of  the  herd  was  inevitable,  the  event  oc- 


744        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

curring  May  6,  1896,  at  the  home  farm.  While 
it  called  out  one  of  the  largest  and  most  repre- 
sentative gatherings  of  breeders  ever  seen  upon 
a  similar  occasion  in  the  Western  States,  times 
were  then  at  their  very  worst,  and  it  was  impos- 
sible that  anything  like  high  prices  should  be 
realized.  The  stock  had  not  been  kept  in 
strong  condition  during  the  few  seasons  im- 
mediately preceding  the  sale,  and  had  not  re- 
ceived the  proprietor's  close  personal  attention. 
Many  of  the  "plums'7  of  the  herd  had  been  sold 
privately.  Everything  upon  the  farm,  except 
a  few  old  cows,  was  catalogued,  and  the  entire 
lot  of  both  sexes  and  all  ages,  passed  through 
the  ring,  without  special  preparation,  at  a  gen- 
eral average  of  $205  for  the  sixty-three  head. 

J.  J.  Hill  of  North  Oaks. — In  the  summer  of 
1882  Mr.  J.  J.  Hill  of  St.  Paul,  Minn.,  the  rail- 
way king  of  the  Northwest,  began  importing 
both  Scotch  and  Bates-bred  Short-horns  from 
Great  Britain.  He  also  made  large  importa- 
tions of  Aberdeen-Angus  cattle  from  Scotland. 
Both  herds  were  maintained  upon  the  sandy 
soil  of  the  farm  of  North  Oaks,  near  St.  Paul, 
a  body  of  land  not  specially  adapted  for  agri- 
cultural purposes.  The  imported  cattle  were 
selected  mainly  by  Mr.  Robert  Bruce. 

The  first  shipment  of  Short-horns  included 
the  massive,  prize-winning  roan  bull  Gambetta 
(49618),  bred  by  Mr.  Garhetty,  Fochabers,  Scot- 


CLOSING   EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.         745 

land,  tracing  on  the  dam's  side  to  Fanny,  by 
Garioch  Lad.  With  Gambetta  came  the. fine 
roan  cow  Rose  of  Dalkeith  (of  the  Duke  of  Buc- 
cleuch's  breeding),  carrying  the  blood  of  Royal 
Errant  and  Sir  James  the  Rose.  There  was 
also  the  Clipper  cow  Cinderella  2d.  In  May, 
1883,  the  Bates-bred  roan  bull  Berkeley  Duke 
of  Oxford  2d  54790,  bred  by  Lord  Fitzhardinge 
and  sired  by  the  celebrated  Duke  of  Connaught, 
was  imported  along  with  three  Bates-bred 
heifers.  Later  in  the  year  additional  ship- 
ments of  Scotch  and  mixed-bred  cattle  of  much 
individual  merit  were  made,  embracing  such 
good  cows  as  Belle  of  Albion,  Golden  Lace, 
Golden  Mint,  Fannie  B.  30th,  Jennie  Lind 
12th,  Venus  2d  and  Sweet  Pea.  In  June,  1884, 
Mr.  Hill  received  from  England  a  lot  of  Bates- 
bred  cattle,  including  Grand  Duchesses  43d 
and  47th,  Duchess  of  Wappenham,  Duchess  of 
Oxford  2d,  Grand  Duchess  of  Barringtonia  5th, 
Conishead  Wild  Eyes  2d,  Wild  Lady  2d,  Lady 
York  and  Thorndale  Bates  8th,  and,  from  Lord 
Lovat  of  Scotland,  Young  Julia  3d. 

In  the  spring  of  1885  Mr.  Bruce  bought  on 
order  some  forty  yearling  bulls,  mainly  in  the 
North  of  Scotland,  that  were  shipped  out  to 
North  Oaks.  He  also  secured  for  Mr.  Hill  the 
Highland  Society's  first-prize  roan  bull  Gold- 
finder  (47967),  bred  from  the  famous  show  stock 
of  Mr.  Handley  of  Westmoreland,  and  sired  by 


746        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

the  celebrated  English  bull  Sir  Arthur  Ingram 
(82490),  a  roan  bred  by  Linton  of  Sheriff  Hutton. 
Goldfinder  was  bought  from  Jas.  Bruce  of  Burn- 
side.  During  this  season  Mr.  John  Hope,  who 
was  buying  cattle  in  England  for  Bow  Park, 
selected  for  North  Oaks  ten  head  of  Duchesses, 
Oxfords  and  other  Bates-bred  sorts,  among  these 
being  Duchess  125th  from  Allsopp's,  Duchess  of 
Leicester  from  Holford's  and  Duchess  of  Row- 
fant  from  Sir  Curtis  Lampson's. 

In  1886  Mr.  Hill  imported  the  bull  Duke  of 
Surrey  92018 — of  A.  H.  Lloyd's  breeding,  sired 
by  27th  Duke  of  Airdrie  out  of  Grand  Duchess 
48th — four  three-year-old  cows  and  one  heifer 
.calf.  He  also  purchased  about  this  same  time 
two  Grand  Duchess  cows  at  a  sale  held  in  Chi- 
cago by  Mr.  H.  Y.  Attrill,  and  as  this  imported 
bull  was  of  that  tribe  the  herd  now  possessed  a 
considerable  collection  of  the  Bates-bred  Duch- 
esses. The  females  sent  out  with  the  Duke  of 
Surrey  were  a  grand  lot,  including  the  High- 
land Society's  first-prize  two-year-old  heifer 
Chief  Lustre  2d,  the  three-year-old  Bonny  Gypsy 
bred  by  Mr.  Duthie,  Charm  from  Hugh  Aylmer's 
and  Severn  Daisy — an  English  winner  with 
heifer  calf  at  foot  by  Piers  Gaveston  (50159). 

On  May  9,  1888,  at  a  public  sale  at  North 
Oaks,  thirty-seven  head  sold  for  an  average  of 
1360.50.  William  Steele,  a  lumberman  of  Ionia, 
Mich.,  bought  Grand  Duchess  of  North  Oaks  2d 


CLOSING   EVENTS    OF   THE    CENTURY.         747 

at  $1,550,  imp.  Oxford  29th  at  $1,000  and  imp. 
Duke  of  North  Oaks  2d  at  $750.  B.  C.  Rumsey 
of  Buffalo  took  imp.  Duchess  of  Rowfant  at 
$1,900.*  H.  C.  G.  Bals  of  Indianapolis  bought 
North  Oaks  Lady  of  Oxford  2d  at  $1,550.  Col. 
William  S.  King  got  North  Oaks  Countess  of 
Oxford — a  white  yearling — at  $1,000.  A  num- 
ber of  Scotch-bred  females  were  offered,  but 
sold  at  a  much  lower  range  of  values. 

Mr.  Hill  did  not  long  maintain  the  herd,  but 
the  blood  of  his  best  cattle  proved  of  much 
value  to  Western  breeders.  He  steadfastly  de- 
clined to  compete  at  the  fairs  with  breeding 
stock,  but  for  several  seasons  was  an  active 
competitor  with  both  Short-horns  and  Angus 
at  the  Chicago  Fat-Stock  Show.  Probably  his 
best  Short-horn  steer  was  the  roan  Britisher, 
that  was  a  prize-winner  at  the  show  of  1889. 
John  T.  Gibson  had  charge  of  the  herds  until 
April  1,  1891,  when  William  Miller  assumed 
the  management.  The  latter  remained  at  the 
helm  one  year.  Twelve  months  later,  in  April, 
1893,  he  purchased  the  entire  North  Oaks  Herds 
of  Short-horns  and  Aberdeen-Angus  —  about 
one  hundred  head  of  each.  About  one-half  of 
each  herd  was  shipped  to  Chicago  and  sold  at 
auction  at  the  panic  prices  then  prevailing. 
The  remainder  were  taken  to  Lakeside  Farm, 

*Mr.  Rumsey  had  sold  twenty-three  head  of  Short-horns  at  Chicago  on  the 
previous  week  at  an  average  of  $343,  Mr.  William  Steele  paying  $1,100  for 
Cambridge  Rose  22d  and  $1,080  for  Cambridge  Rose  25th. 


748        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Storm  Lake,  la.,  where  Mr.  Sherley,  the  pro- 
prietor, took  an  interest  in  them.  The  Short- 
horns were  at  length  dispersed  at  a-uction  at 
Lakeside  in  1895. 

Hope's  show  herds  of  1887  and  1889.— 
In  the  fall  of  1887,  Mr.  John  Hope,  manager 
for  the  Messrs.  Nelson  at  Bow  Park,  appeared 
in  the  West  with  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
show  herds  seen  since  the  days  of  Col.  King  of 
Lyndale.  The  lot  was  headed  by  the  very  good 
show  bull  Baron  Warlaby,  but  was  chiefly  re- 
markable for  its  imported  females,  including 
Lady  Isabel,  Havering  Nonpareil  2d  and  Duch- 
ess of  Lincoln,  selected  in  England  for  the  ex- 
press purpose  of  "starring"  the  American  show 
circuit.  Baron  Warlaby  was  bred  by  Mr.  Groff 
of  Ontario,  and  was  got  by  the  Booth-bred 
Knight  of  Warlaby  out  of  a  cow  tracing  to 
imp.  Beauty  by  Snowball.  Lady  Isabel  and 
Havering  Nonpareil  2d  were  both  shown  in  the 
cow  class  at  the  great  Western  fairs  of  1887, 
creating  a  profound  sensation.  Both  were 
roans  of  magnificent  scale,  direct  from  the 
hands  of  expert  English  "fitters." 

Lady  Isabel,  called  by  Hope  "the  grandest 
cow  seen  since  Lady  Fragrant/'  was  bred  by 
John  Outhwaite,  of  Bainesse,  Yorkshire,  and 
was  sired  by  the  white  bull  Crown  Prince 
(38061)— a  brother  of  the  Rev.  B.  B.  Kinnard's  re- 
nowned English  show  cow  Queen  Mary — out  of 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE   CENTURY.         749 

Lady  Conyers  by  the  Royal  prize  bull  Lord  Go- 
dolphin  (36065).  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
she  had  produced  two  heifers  and  one  bull,  she 
was  shown  in  reasonable  bloom  at  the  enor- 
mous weight  of  2,100  Ibs.,  carried  upon  short, 
neat  bone.  Havering  Nonpareil  2d,  although 
not  laid  out  on  so  grand  a  scale  as  the  mas- 
sive Lady  Isabel,  was  a  beautiful  type,  present- 
ing a  rare  combination  of  flesh  and  finish, 
entering  the  ring  at  a  weight  of  near  2,000  Ibs. 
She  had  been  a  winner  at  the  English  Royal, 
and  on  account  of  her  beautiful  quality  divided 
the  admiration  of  American  breeders  with  Lady 
Isabel.*  She  was  bred  by  D.  Mclntosh  of  Hav- 
ering Park,  Essex,  England,  from  Baron 
Gwynne  2d  84510,  running  through  the  famous 
Telemachus  blood  to  the  Sittyton  Nonpareil 
base;  being  a  lineal  descendant  of  Nonpareil 
19th,  by  Matadore.  Duchess  of  Lincoln,  the 
third  member  of  Hope's  peerless  triumvirate, 
was  an  extraordinary  Bates-topped  two-year- 
old,  bred  by  J.  J.  Sharp  of  Broughton,  Ketter- 
ing,  England.  She  was  a  strikingly-handsome, 
broad-ribbed,  finely-conditioned  roan,  of  com- 
manding show-yard  appearance,  and  repeated 
in  America  her  earlier  victories  on  the  other 
side  of  the  water. 

*At  the  Iowa  State  Fair  of  1887,  at  Des  Moines,  Wm.  Stocking  of  Illinois, 
the  awarding1  judge,  set  the  Nonpareil  over  Lady  Isabel.  This  was  a  re- 
markable Short-horn  show,  Mr.  Luther  Adams'  Scotch-bred  imp.  Miss 
Ramsden  9th  being  placed  after  the  two  Bow  Park  cows. 


750        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Hope's  last  appearance  in  the  show-ring  in 
the  States  was  in  the  fall  of  1889.  He  had  pur- 
chased imp.  Cupbearer  that  spring  at  the  Adams 
sale  at  Chicago,  and  to  avoid  a  troublesome 
quarantine  had  placed  him  in  the  capable  hands 
of  Mr.  William  H.  Gibson,  manager  for  B.  C. 
Rumsey  at  Niagara  Stock  Farm,  Buffalo  1ST.  Y. 
It  must  be  said  to  Gibson's  credit  that  the  bull 
was  brought  out  that  fall  in  rare  bloom.  When 
he  appeared  at  the  head  of  the  Bow  Park  Herd 
at  the  Detroit  Exposition  September,  1889,  he 
was  fit  to  stand  for  the  credit  of  the  breed  in 
any  company.  He  was  shown  at  a  weight  of 
2,500  Ibs.,  and  barring  a  little  tendency  to 
"roll"  at  the  shoulder  was  as  smooth  as  a  year- 
ling. Richard  Gibson  was  the  judge  upon  this 
occasion,  and  while  sending  Cupbearer  to  head 
the  aged  bull  class,  when  it  came  to  the  cham- 
pionship he  passed  him  in  favor  of  Bow  Park's 
yearling  Baron  Waterloo,  got  by  Baron  War- 
laby  78878  out  of  Wave  Surge  by  57th  Duke 
of  Oxford,  tracing  through  Mr.  Torr's  "W's." 
Aylesby  and  its  Short-horn  tribes  never  failed 
to  arouse  the  enthusiasm  of  Richard, "and  as 
Baron  Waterloo  was  really  a  well-ripened,  good- 
fleshed  bull  there  was  some  basis  for  defense  of 
his  unexpected  decision  placing  the  yearling 
over  the  table-backed  Scot.  Hope  won  in  the 
cow  class  with  Havering  Nonpareil  2d,  although 
Mr.  Abram  Renick,  the  younger — who  had  sue- 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         751 

ceeded  to  his  great-uncle's  Rose  of  Sharon  herd 
—had  a  good  second  in  Rosebud  35th.  Bow 
Park  scored  also  in  two-year-old  heifers  with 
Isabella  3d,  a  handsome  daughter  of  imp.  Lady 
Isabel,  sired  by  Ingrain's  Chief  41833.  In  fact 
Hope  made  a  clean  sweep  by  drawing  the  blue 
in  both  the  yearling  and  heifer-calf  classes, 
gaining  both  championships  and  both  of  the 
herd  prizes.* 

*The  affairs  of  the  Canada  West  Farm  Stock  Association  were  closed 
at  auction  at  Brantford  Jan.  15, 1885,  the  title  to  both  the  farm  and  herd 
passing  to  Messrs.  Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons  of  Liverpool.  The  real  estate 
was  bought  in  at  $71,000,  the  115  head  of  Short-horns-at  $95,000,  and  the  other 
farm  effects  at  $14,680.  Mr.  John  Clay  Jr.,  the  present  head  of  the  American 
stock-yards  commission  firm  of  Clay,  Robinson  &  Co.,  had  meantime  been 
placed  in  charge  as  financial  representative  of  the  Messrs.  Nelson,  Mr. 
Hope  continuing  to  act  as  herd  manager,  serving  in  that  capacity  until 
the  final  disposition  of  the  farm  by  the  Nelsons  Jan.  1,  1894,  soon  after 
which  event  Mr.  Hope  died.  The  latter  had  for  a  long  series  of  years  been 
one  of  the  most  conspicuous  figures  in  the  American  live-stock  trade,  often 
acting  as  judge,  not  only  of  cattle  but  draft  and  coach  horses  and  other 
varieties  of  farm  animals.  Fitting  tribute  has  been  paid  to  his  memory  by 
Mr.  Clay,  whose  literary  skill  has  so  often  been  employed  in  matters  touch- 
ing the  affairs  of  those  whose  lives  are  spent  among  herds  and  flocks. 
We  quote  the  following  written  by  Mr.  Clay  for  the  Live-Stock  Report: 

"Probably  no  single  man  ever  had  such  a  varied  knowledge  of  the 
breeders  of  fine  stock  in  Europe  and  America  as  "  genial  John."  We  migh\, 
except  the  late  Simon  Beattie,  a  sort  of  companion-in-arms,  who  had  gone 
through  many  a  purchasing,  selling  and  showing  campaign  with  the  above. 
With  those  two  gentlemen  Richard  Gibson  was  often  associated,  and  when 
the  trio  met  there  was  an  accumulation  of  experience  in  breeding  and  feed- 
ing all  classes  of  stock — of  the  folk  lore,  we  might  call  it— of  the  bovine 
world  of  anecdote,  by  sea  and  shore,  never  equaled.  Two  have  gone  from 
us,  while  the  third  remains  to  wield  a  powerful  influence  in  agricultural 
matters  throughout  the  States  and  Canada. 

"  John  Hope  was  born  over  fifty  years  ago  near  to  Cockermouth,  Cumber- 
land. His  birthplace  was  near  to  an  old  church  with  a  wonderful  belfry, 
and  when  far  away  from  there  he  heard  the  chime  of  bells  floating  across 
the  Valley  of  the  Grand  River,  near  Brantford,  Ont.,  it  always  reminded 
him  of  the  old  days  spent  in  his  native  parish.  From  Cumberland  he  went 
to  Canada,  spent  some  time  in  Missouri,  a  year  or  two  at  Waukegan,  111., 
and  then  he  settled  down  in  Ontario,  where  the  latter  part  of  his  life  was 
spent,  first  as  a  farmer  and  importer  of  fine  stock,  and  latterly  as  assistant 
manager  and  manager  of  Bow  Park.  During  the  last  two  months  he  had 


752        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Luther  Adams'  importations. — In  the  au- 
tumn of  1886  Mr.  Luther  Adams  of  Boston, 
Mass.,  who  owned  a  large  farm  at  Storm  Lake, 
la.,  commissioned  Mr.  William  Miller  to  pro- 
ceed to  Scotland  and  select  for  his  account  a 
shipment  of  the  best  young  cattle  obtainable. 
Miller  was  admirably  qualified  for  the  work. 
As  we  have  already  seen,  he  belonged  to  a  fam- 
ily that  had  been  identified  from  an  early  period 
with  the  importing  and  breeding  trade  of  Can- 
ada. As  a  young  man  he  had  bought  cattle  and 
sheep  in  Great  Britain;  and  his  long  and  inti- 
mate connection  with  the  live-stock  interests  of 
North  America  had  given  him  an  experience, 

purchased  this  estate,  but  whether  the  actual  details  had  been  carried 
through  or  not  we  are  unable  to  say. 

"  It  was  August,  1876,  in  the  Valley  of  the  Severn,  under  the  shadow  of  the 
Cotswold  Hills,  that  the  writer  first  met  Hope.  From  that  day  a  chain  of 
unbroken  friendship  that  had  to  stand  the  strain  of  many  a  gale  remained 
unbroken.  In  1877  or  1878  Hope  went  to  Bow  Park  as  manager  of  the  herd 
then  one  of  the  largest  and  most  valuable  in  the  world,  and  in  1879  I  joined 
him  at  that  place.  Bow  Park  was  not  a  financial  success.  It  was  started 
when  the  Short-horn  business  was  on  the  wane.  Here  it  was,  however 
that  John  Hope  became  a  great  force  in  trans- Atlantic  agriculture.  Many 
an  object  lesson  he  gave  on  the  farm  amid  the  stately  oaks  that  surmount 
the  homestead  at  Bow  Park.  There  he  was  at  his  best.  The  fever  of  strong 
prejudices  was  laid  away,  and  before  you  was  the  animal.  Ah!  how  he 
loved  to  look  at  them.  When  the  show  cows  were  let  out  from  their  shady 
boxes  at  sundown  to  graze  in  the  cool  night  air  then  came  Hope's  enjoy- 
ment. As  the  artist  loves  his  picture,  the  huntsman  his  hound,  the  mother 
her  child,  so  the  idol  of  our  friend  was  the  Short-horn  cow.  For  years  it 
was  the  Alpha  and  Omega  of  his  existence.  Latterly,  when  a  happy  mar- 
riage came  across  his  path,  and  a  beautiful  family  to  cluster  round  him,  the 
old  love  was  dimmed  a  little,  but  the  virgin  fires  still  blazed,  and  no  later 
than  the  great  show  of  cattle  at  the  World's  Fair  Hope  was  there  as  in- 
tensely interested  as  ever.  In  the  show-yard  he  had  phenomenal  success. 
Will  the  present  race  of  American  cattlemen  ever  forget  Duke  of  Clarence 
4th,  the  Clarence  Kirklevington,  and  the  herd  of  cows  and  heifers  which  a 
few  years  ago  swept  like  a  cyclone  through  the  show-yards  of  the  States 
and  Canada?  As  an  exhibitor  Hope  was  a  strong  partisan,  and  in  the  pecu- 
liar politics  of  an  American  show-ring  he  was  an  adept.  Long  years  of  ex- 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         753 

a  seasoned  judgment  and  an  acquaintance  on 
both  sides  the  water  not  excelled  by  any  other 
individual  of  his  time.  A  shrewd,  keen-witted, 
"all-around"  judge,  "Willie"  Miller  ranks  as 
one  of  the  makers  of  American  Short-horn 
history. 

The  shipment  of  1886. — Canadian  quaran- 
tine restrictions  had  rendered  impossible  the 
further  forwarding  of  the  Sittyton  surplus  to  Mr. 
Davidson,  so  that  it  came  to  pass  that  Mr.Cruick- 
shank's  final  American  outlet  was  through  the 
medium  of  Mr.  Adams.  Arriving  in  Aberdeen- 
shire  Mr.  Miller  repaired  at  once  to  Sittyton. 
Mr.  Cruickshank  was  well  sold  out  of  bulls  at 


perience  and  close  observation  had  made  him  so,  and  he  only  fought  his 
opponents  with  their  own  weapons.  As  a  judge  he  was  strictly  impartial, 
and  as  an  all-round  man  was,  so  far  as  my  observation  goes,  without  an 
equal.  In  the  show-yard  arena  during  the  last  twenty  years  I  have  watched 
many  an  exhibitor  and  judge.  Years  ago  I  saw  an  Elliot  of  Hindhope,  a 
Booth  of  Warlaby,  a  Drewry  of  Holker  take  their  parts  in  the  play.  In  lat- 
ter years  all  of  us  have  seen  a  Tait  of  Windsor,  Gibson  of  Canada,  Billy 
Leavitt  in  the  Chicago  Stock- Yards,  and  a  host  of  others,  all  men  of  quick 
perception;  but  when  it  came  down  to  close  judgment,  whether  it  was  a 
hound,  a  horse,  or  a  Hereford,  I  think  John  Hope  would  have  got  the  laurel 
wreath,  for  with  him  it  was  intuition.  He  was  quick,  keen,  decisive,  al- 
most too  rapid  for  the  general  public,  but  he  was  always  there  or  there- 
abouts when  the  best  animal  had  to  be  picked  from  the  bunch. 

"In  personal  appearance  Hope  was  broad  and  burly,  a  grand  specimen 
of  the  English  yeoman.  Apart  from  his  general  contour  his  prominent 
feature  was  the  eye.  He  was  the  possessor  of  a  pair  of  great  luminous 
blue  eyes,  that  imparted  to  his  appearance  a  singularly  soft  and  winning 
expression.  When  a  child  entered  the  room  it  invariably  went  straight  to 
him,  and  through  those  eyes  beamed  forth  all  that  was  tender  and  true  in 
his  nature.  Simple  himself  ao  a  child,  generous  to  a  fault,  strong  in  his 
friendship,  with  the  heart  of  a  lion,  yet  the  mildness  and  gentleness  of  a 
lamb,  he  leaves  behind  a  record  for  probity  as  a  heritage  to  all  who  knew 
him.  Let  us  inscribe  this  sentiment  to  his  memory :  That  the  leading  fea- 
ture of  his  life  was  sympathy ;  or,  to  go  deeper  still,  shall  we  call  it  love — 
love  of  mankind  and  the  dumb  creation,  that  flower  which  has  bloomed 
perennially  ever  since  the  day  Adam  and  Eve  left  the  gates  of  Paradise." 
48 


754        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

the  time,  having  but  one  for  sale  that  was 
deemed  worthy  of  importation.  This,  the  red 
calf  Harvester,  by  Baron  Violet,  was  bought 
along  with  the  choice  heifers  Simplicity,  Gwen- 
doline, Athene,  Golden  Feather,  Sorrel,  Golden 
Crest  and  Violet  Mist.  The  chief  stock  bull 
at  Sittytori  at  this  time  was  Cumberland,  con- 
cerning which  bull  Mr.  Miller  says:  "Cumber- 
land was  then  in  his  prime,  a  massive  roan, 
with  great  quality  and  thickness  of  flesh,  very 
strong  back  and  loin,  good  strong  head  and 
long  quarters,  but  did  not  carry  himself  with 
as  much  style  as  one  would  like.  The  more 
you  looked  at  him  the  more  you  thought  of 
him,  but  when  one  saw  his  mother,  Custard,  a 
grand  roan,  it  was  not  hard  to  divine  where  he 
got  his  breeding  qualities."  Cumberland's  son, 
Feudal  Chief  (51251),  out  of  a  Lavender  dam. 
was  then  being  used  freely  in  the  herd.  Mr. 
Cruickshank  seemed  to  place  much  confidence 
in  him,  but  Mr.  Miller  was  not  altogether 
pleased  with  the  bull.  He  adds:  "Commodore 
(54118),  a  grand  roan  by  Baron  Violet  (47444) 
out  of  Custard,  the  dam  of  Cumberland,  was 
the  best  bull  I  saw  at  Sittyton.  He  was  not  so 
massive  as  Cumberland,  but  finer.  I  tried  every 
way  I  could  to  buy  him  for  Mr.  Adams,  but  Mr. 
Cruickshank  would  not  price  him."  The  herds 
at  Collynie  and  Uppermill  were  visited,  and  as 
young  stock  by  Field  Marshal  and  William  of 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF    THE   CENTURY.         755 

Orange  were  at  that  time  being  offered,  some 
advantageous  purchases  were  made  from 
Messrs.  Duthie  and  Marr.  From  the  former 
he  got  the  Field  Marshal  heifers  Viola  5th,  Fra- 
grance, Lady  Dorothy  2d  and  Bashful  2d,*  be- 
sides the  young  bull  Lord  Lancaster  by  same 
sire. 

Cupbearer  bought.— The  yearling  bull  Cup- 
bearer (52692)  had  just  been  sold  by  Mr.  Duthie 
to  an  Ontario  breeder  and  sent  to  Liverpool  for 
shipment,  but  on  account  of  the  Canadian  quar- 
antine proclamation  he  had  to  be  returned  to 
Collynie,  whereupon  Mr.  Miller  secured  him  for 
Mr.  Adams.  He  had  been  shown  during  the 
summer  of  1886  as  a  yearling,  winning  first  prize 
in  a  good  class  of  two-year-olds  at  the  Royal 
Northern  and  had  the  reserve  number  next  to 
Field  Marshal.  He  was  a  roan  sired  by  Rob 
Roy  (45484)  out  of  the  prize  cow  Countess  4th, 
descending  from  Mr.  Cruickshank's  Fragrance 
by  Matadore,  and  became  the  champion  show 
bull  of  America.  From  Mr.  Marr  was  obtained 
Missie  99th,  Sweet  Brier  7th,  Flora  89th  and  a 
young  bull  by  William  of  Orange.  A  promis- 
ing bull  calf,  Prince  Charlie,  bred  by  P.  R.  Smith 
of  Aberdeenshire,  and  one  or  two  others  from 
local  breeders  came  with  the  first  importation. 

*  Bashful  2d— of  the  Miss  Bamsden  tribe— was  what  American  breeders 
term  a  genuine  "double-decker" — a  beefy,  broad-backed  cow  with  a  large, 
shapely  udder.  She  was  a  heavy  milker  and  was  one  of  the  cows  chosen 
in  1893  to  represent  the  breed  in  the  Columbian  Dairy  Test. 


756         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

West  Liberty  sale. — Mr.  Adams  had  mean- 
time been  a  buyer  of  American-bred  stock  of 
standard  Bates  and  other  established  varieties, 
and  a  selection  of  these  along  with  the  major 
portion  of  the  importation  above  mentioned 
was  offered  at  public  sale  at  West  Liberty,  la., 
May  12,  1887.  The  catalogue  contained  the 
two  Bates-bred  heifers  Lady  Barrington  Bates 
and  Lady  Winsome  Wild  Eyes  2d,  from  one  of 
Richard  Gibson's  importations,  and  as  the  ri- 
valry between  the  Bates  and  Scotch  .factions 
was  running  high  at  this  time  much  specula- 
tion was  indulged  in  as  to  relative  prices  likely 
to  prevail.  Practically  all  the  leading  breed- 
ers of  the  West  were  present,  and  as  the  cattle 
were  brought  forward  in  good  form,  notwith- 
standing their  recent  Atlantic  voyage,  some  ex- 
cellent prices  were  realized.  Evidently  a  ma- 
jority of  those  present  were  attracted  by  the 
Aberdeenshire  lots,  and  as  a  result  of  a  sharp 
contest  between  the  late  Robert  Miller  and  C. 
W.  Norton  of  Durant,  la.,  the  Sittyton  Secret 
heifer  Simplicity  was  taken  by  the  latter  at 
$1,200.  Mr.  Norton  also  took  out  the  highest- 
priced  bull  of  the  day,  imp.  Prince  Charlie,  at 
$1,000.  Lady  Barrington  Bates  brought  $1,060 
and  the  imported  Scotch  heifers  sold  at  an  av- 
erage around  $500.  Robt.  Miller  secured  some 
of  the  best  of  these,  among  others  the  roan 
Violet  Mist,  afterward  the  property  of  C.  B. 


CLOSING   EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.         757 

Dustin,  that  grew  into  a  genuine  "double- 
decker" — a  good  breeder,  a  heavy  flesh-carrier 
when  not  in  milk  and  possessing  marked  dairy 
quality.  It  was  at  this  sale  that  C.  S.  Barclay 
of  West  Liberty  selected  Harvester  at  $500. 
The  forty-two  head  offered  made  an  average 
of  $328.35.* 

The  memorable  purchase  of  1887. — In  the 
fall  of  1887  Mr.  Miller  again  visited  Scotland, 
purchasing  no  less  than  thirty-one  head  of 
heifers  and  thirty-nine  young  bulls,  all  from 

*Mr.  Miller  fitted  and  exhibited  for  Mr.  Adams  at  the  fall  fairs  of  1887  a 
herd  headed  by  Strathearn  77994,  a  compactly- built,  thick-fleshed  red,  bred 
by  John  Miller  &  Son,  Brougham,  Ont.,  descending  from  imp.  Rose  of  Strath- 
allan,  that  was  probably  the  most  valuable  breeding  cow  John  Miller  ever 
owned.  She  lived  to  be  nineteen  years  of  age,  and  this  reference  to  Strath- 
earn  reminds  us  that  no  less  than  eleven  direct  descendants  of  the  famous 
old  cow  won  at  different  times  championship  prizes  in  Canada  and  the 
United  States.  Mr.  John  Miller  bought  Rose  of  Strathallan  just  after  she 
had  gained  the  gold  medal  at  the  Highland  Show  of  1870  in  her  five-year-old 
form.  She  carried  at  the  time  the  famous  bull  Lord  Strathallan,  already 
mentioned.  The  West  as  well  as  the  Dominion  is  indebted  to  John  Miller 
for  many  good  cattle  and  the  author  has  pleasure  in  here  recording  a  pass- 
ing recognition  of  the  value  of  his  services  as  a  breeder  and  importer.  He 
is  still  living  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty-three  years  and  figures  as  one  of 
the  strongest  and  sturdiest  characters  ever  identified  with  our  live-stock  in- 
terests. Like  most  of  the  Canadian  breeders  who  have  succeeded  so  well 
with  Short-horns  Mr.  Miller  is  a  Scot.  The  herd  at  Brougham  is  one  of  the 
oldest  in  the  Dominion.  Among  the  earliest  sires  used  were  Oxford  Ma- 
zurka from  Woodburn,  Canadian  Prince,  of  Campbell  origin,  and  Fawsley 
Chief,  a  Torr-Booth.  For  many  years  past  none  but  Scotch  bulls  have  been 
used,  included  among  them  being  the  famous  Vice  Consul  (brought  to  the 
States  by  Messrs.  Sanger),  Sittyton  Stamp,  etc.  Mr.  Miller's  sons  are  widely 
and  favorably  known  and  Robert  has  made  many  trips  across  the  Atlantic, 
buying  cattle  and  sheep  for  show  and  breeding  purposes.  Indeed,  few,  if 
any,  families  have  a  longer  or  more  honorable  identification  with  Ameri- 
can stock-breeding  interests  than  the  Millers. 

Imp.  Cupbearer  was  shown  in  this  Lakeside  herd  of  1887  as  a  two-year- 
old,  and  while  much  admired  had  not  assumed  the  phenomenal  show-yard 
form  which  he  afterward  attained.  The  cow  of  this  show  herd  was  Miss 
feamsden  9th,  an  1,865-lb.  red, with  a  remarkable  heart-girth,  and  the  two- 
year-old  heifer  was  her  own  sister,  Miss  Ramsden  10th. 


758        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

the  herds  of  Cruickshank,  Duthie,  Marr  and 
Campbell — the  largest  importation  ever  made 
direct  from  Aberdeenshire  to  the  United  States. 
The  value  of  this  lot  of  cattle  to  American 
herds  can  scarcely  yet  be  fairly  estimated. 
Among  the  females  were  the  grand  roan  Bra- 
with  Bud  cow  Germanica  from  Sittyton,  the 
thick  heifers  Proud  Belle,  Charity  3d  and  the 
great  roan  Princess  Alice  from  Collynie;  while 
among  the  bulls,  then  all  unknown  to  fame, 
were  Craven  Knight,  Gay  Monarch,  Indian 
Chief,  Freemason,  Pro  Consul,  Mephistopheles 
and  Master  of  the  Mint.  A  selection  from  this 
lot  was  offered  at  auction  at  Dexter  Park,  Chi- 
cago, May  16,  1888.  While  appreciation  of 
Scotch  blood  for  crossing  purposes  on  Ameri- 
can-bred cows  was  now  general  throughout  the 
entire  country,  prices  for  all  classes  of  cattle 
were  still  upon  a  very  moderate  basis.  Hence 
high  values  were  not  to  be  thought  of.  It  was 
here  that  J.  G.  Robbins  &  Sons,  Horace,  Ind., 
made  the  "hit"  of  their  career  as  breeders  by 
selecting  the  roan  Marr-bred  calf  Gay  Monarch, 
by  William  of  Orange  out  of  Alexandrina  17th 
by  Athabasca  at  $375.  Messrs.  Cookson  got  Pro 
Consul  at  $630.  Francis  Davis  of  Minnesota 
bought  Freemason  at  $300.  Arthur  Johnston 
secured  Indian  Chief  at  $350, ^and  J.  F.  Prather 
of  Village  Park,  Williams  ville,  111.,  took  out 
Mephistopheles  at  $300;  the  twenty-five  bulls 


5'ta 


&11 


CLOSING   EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.         759 

averaging  $308.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that 
these  calves  had  been  weaned  at  a  compara- 
tively early  age  in  Scotland,  shipped  4,000 
miles  and  offered  before  opportunity  had  been 
had  for  putting  them  in  strong  condition.  Had 
they  been  fed  for  six  months  or  a  year  they 
would  doubtless  have  averaged  double  the 
money.  Mr.  Miller  insisted  at  the  time  that 
the  youngsters  would  grow  out  in  a  way  that 
would  fairly  astonish  buyers,  and  his  words 
upon  this  point  indeed  proved  prophetic.  The 
highest-priced  heifer  sold  at  this  sale  was  imp. 
Lady  of  the  Meadow,  taken  by  T.  W.  Harvey 
at  $575. 

Lakeside's  show  herd  of  1888, — At  the 
shows  of  1888  Lakeside  came  forward  in  force. 
Cupbearer  was  now  a  three-year-old  and  had  im- 
proved wonderfully  with  twelve  months7  feed- 
ing. He  was  never  a  typical  Scotch  bull,  lack- 
ing the  essential  element  of  early  maturity,  but 
as  a  three-year-old  he  displayed  that  marvelous 
back,  loin  and  hip-covering  for  which  he  was 
afterward  so  famous.  Still  he  wanted  filling 
at  the  flanks.  A  smoother  bull  probably  never 
stood  in  the  American  show-ring.  It  was  a 
strong  class  at  the  Iowa  State  Fair  that  year, 
including  N.  P.  Clarke's  big  red,  Canadian-bred 
Oscar,  Barr's  imp.  Scotland's  Hero  and  the  Du- 
thie-bred  Crown  Prince,  also  shown  by  Mr. 
Clarke.  First  prize  here  fell  to  Oscar,  but  at 


760        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  Illinois  show  Cupbearer  went  to  the  front, 
winning  over  Varner's  Frederick  William  4th, 
Wilhoit's  Athelstane  3d  and  other  good  ones. 
Along  with  Cupbearer  there  came  from  Storm 
Lake  this  season  the  great  cows  Germanica  and 
Miss  Ramsden  9th.  Mr.  Clarke  was  showing 
the  beautiful  Kinellar-bred  Goldie  cow  Gypsy 
Maid,*  and  when  to*  such  as  these  we  add  Wil- 
hoit's  Young  Necklace  fair-goers  of  that  period 
will  have  called  to  their  minds  visions  of  Short- 
horn beauty  such  as  are  rarely  equaled.  Lake- 
side was  "  loaded "  this  same  year  in  the  two- 
year-old  heifers  with  Mr.  Duthie's  Proud  Belle, 
of  a  wonderfully  wide-ribbed,  fleshy  type.  The 
peerless  Princess  Alice  was  the  yearling  and 
she  displayed  such  extraordinary  quality  that 
she  was  made  female  champion  at  several  of 
the  leading  fairs  of  the  Western  circuit.  It 
was  a  great  herd  and  when  it  gained  the  cham- 
pionship over  all  beef  breeds  at  "The  Ameri- 
can Royal " — the  Illinois  State  Fair  at  Olney— 
it  was  indeed  a  proud  day  for  "Willie"  Miller 
and  the  Scots. 
Third  and  last  lot. — In  January,  1889,  the 


*  Mr.  Clark's  Gypsy  Maid  was  one  of  the  finest  specimens  of  the  breed  of 
her  time  in  the  United  States.  She  possessed  something  of  the  same  quality 
and  character  as  Princess  Alice,  and  like  that  cow  left  a  valuable  progeny. 
She  was  a  roan,  bred  by  Campbell  of  Kinellar,  from  the  Sitty  ton-bred  Ver- 
mont 78225— running  through  Harmony  by  Pride  of  the  Isles  to  Mr.  Marr's 
Goldie  tribe— and  was  imported  in  September,  1885,  by  John  Isaac  of  Canada. 
She  combined  rare  thickness  with  admirable  finish,  and  was  a  milker  as 
well  as  a  flesh-carrier.  She  was  often  shown  with  success,  and  was  the 
champion  female  of  the  breed  at  the  Iowa  State  Fair  of  1889. 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.          761 

third  and  last  of  the  Luther  Adams  lots  came 
over.  It  consisted  of  twelve  young  bulls  and 
eighteen  heifers,  all  from  Sittyton,  the  get 
of  Gondolier,  Feudal  Chief,  Standard  Bearer, 
Cumberland  and  Commodore.  Soon  after  these 
had  been  put  through  quarantine  Mr.  Adams 
decided  upon  a  dispersion  sale  of  the  entire 
Lakeside  stock,  including  the  bulls  of  the  last 
importation  and  the  show  herd  of  1888.  Even 
the  best  cattle  were  not  commanding  long 
prices  in  those  days.  Breeders  found  it  neces- 
sary to  economize  in  every  possible  way,  and 
Mr.  Adams  felt  that  the  situation  was  such  that 
it  was  impossible  to  continue  importations  from 
Scotland  with  any  prospect  of  reselling  at  a 
profit.  He  accordingly  disposed  of  his  farm  to 
Mr.  T.  H.  Sherley  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  cata- 
logued sixty-six  head  of  Short-horns  to  be  sold 
at  Dexter  Park,  Chicago,  April  25,  1889.  Few 
better  lots  ever  went  under  the  auctioneer's 
hammer  in  the  Western  States,  and  if  by  some 
witchery  this  herd  could  be  restored  to  life  and 
put  on  the  market  in  these  prosperous  closing 
days  of  the  nineteenth  century  quite  another 
story  could  be  told  as  to  the  result.  The  beau- 
tiful Princess  Alice  fell  to  the  bidding  of  John 
Hope  of  Bow  Park  at  $710.  John  was  never 
accused  of  being  partial  to  Scotch-bred  cattle, 
but  such  as  Princess  Alice  appealed  to  his 
skilled  judgment  with  irresistible  force.  Mr. 


762        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Dustin  got  Victoria  79th,  Proud  Belle  and  Ger- 
manica  2d  at  $425,  $420  and  $325  respectively. 
Hugh  Draper,  Washington,  la.,  got  the  rich- 
fleshed  roan  Fatiina  at  $400.  Messrs.  Potts  se- 
cured Germanica  at  $395.  Miss  Ramsden  10th 
went  to  L.  H.  Conn  of  St.  Louis  at  $325.  Prin- 
cess Alice's  sappy  heifer  Alice  Maude  was  se- 
cured by  the  author  of  this  volume  on  a  bid  of 
$300  for  export  to  Mexico.  J.  R.  Jones  &  Son, 
Williamsville,  111.,  bought  Blythesome  Bride  at 
$230.  The  show  bull  Strathearn  went  to  Geo. 
Harding  &  Son,  Waukesha,  Wis.,  at  $700.  Cup- 
bearer was  bought  by  John  Hope  at  $650.  C.  C. 
Platter,  Red  Oak,  la.,  got  imp.  Bandmaster,  aft- 
erward noted  as  a  sire  in  the  herd  of  H.  D.  Par- 
sons, at  $630.  The  entire  sixty-six  head  offered 
brought  an  average  of  $289.69. 

The  heifers  in  the  importation  of  1889  were 
sold  along  with  Lakeside  Farm  to  Mr.  Sherley, 
who  subsequently  disposed  of  most  of  them  at 
private  treaty  to  Col.  W.  A.  Harris  and  the  late 
John  McHugh  of  Cresco,  la.  The  lot  sold  in- 
cluded sixteen  yearling  heifers  of  Cruickshank, 
Duthie  and  Marr  breeding,  one-half  of  which 
went  to  Linwood  along  with  the  bull  Craven 
Knight. 

The  Short-horn  herd  bred  at  Lakeside  from 
the  North  Oaks  and  Luther  Adams  purchases 
was  closed  out  at  auction  on  June  12,  1895,  at 
an  average  of  $204  for  the  forty-six  head  offered. 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         763 

The  stock  bull  Knight  of  the  Thistle  108656,  by 
Craven  Knight,  tracing  to  imp.  Rose  of  Strath- 
allan,  was  bought  by  Mr.  H.  C.  Stuart  of  Salt- 
ville,  Va.,  at  $650.  Col.  T.  S.  Moberley  gave 
$500  for  the  roan  Cupbearer  cow  Gwendoline 
2d,  and  for  her  daughter  Gwendoline  3d  Maj. 
J.  T.  Cowan,  Cowan's  Mills,  Va.,  paid  a  like  sum. 
In  addition  to  Knight  of  the  Thistle  Mr.  Miller 
had  used  German  Laird  98182,  by  Strathearn 
77994  out  of  the  Pure  Gold  or  Brawith  Bud 
cow  imp.  Germanica.* 

Gwendoline  2d  was  a  prime  favorite  with  Mr. 
Miller.  She  was  a  regular  breeder,  a  heavy 
milker,  with  a  wide,  strong  back  and  beautiful 
character.  He  often  compared  her  with  the 
celebrated  English  champion  show  cow  the 
great  Mollie  Millicent.f 

Last  successful  Duchess  sale. — Allusion  has 


*  It  was  from  this  herd  that  Mr.  Abram  Renick,  the  younger,  bought  the 
bulls  Wallace  117654,  by  German  Laird  out  of  the  Wild  Eyes  cow  North 
Oaks  Duchess  of  Worcester  2d,  and  Royal  Scot  117217,  by  Knight  of  the 
Thistle  out  of  Gwendoline  2d,  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  some  fresh 
blood  into  the  Rose  of  Sharon  herd  left  him  as  a  legacy  on  the  death  of  his 
great-uncle,  Abram  Renick,  in  1884. 

t  Lakeside  Farm  was  bought  from  Mr.  Sherley  by  Mr.  Miller  in  1898  and 
upon  that  valuable  Iowa  property  the  veteran  breeder  and  importer  is 
spending  his  declining  years,  feeding  operations  engaging  most  of  his  atten- 
tion. His  occasional  contributions  to  the  Breeder's  Gazette  have  reflected  not 
only  his  fine  vein  of  humor  but  literary  ability  of  the  highest  order.  That 
gifted  American  author,  Donald  G.  Mitchell  (" Ik  Marvel")  in  forwarding 
a  communication  of  his  own,  prepared  especially  for  one  of  the  Christmas 
issues  of  the  Gazette,  referred  to  an  article  of  Mr.  Miller's  in  a  prior  issue 
with  this  comment:  "When  you  can  secure  such  matter  as  Mr.  Miller's 
article  of  last  year  from  within  the  ranks  of  your  own  constituency  I  do 
not  see  why  you  need  call  professional  literary  men  to  your  aid." 


764        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

heretofore  been  made  to  the  fact  that  Messrs. 
Rigdon  Huston  &  Son  of  Blandinsville,  111.,  pur- 
chased the  entire  Bates-bred  herd  of  Col.  Le  G. 
B.  Cannon  of  Vermont  and  added  it  to  their 
Hilldale  stock  in  1881  at  a  cost  of  $50,000  for 
thirty-two  head.  The  Cannon  herd  contained 
several  representatives  of  the  Airdrie  Duchess 
tribe,  obtained  from  Hillhurst,  and  as  the 
Messrs.  Huston  were  among  the  most  practical 
of  our  Western  breeders  they  were  successful 
in  producing  from  this  purchase  a  good  num- 
ber of  first-class  animals.  They  had  in  service 
for  a  time  the  22d  Duke  of  Airdrie  16695  and 
subsequently  bought  from  Bow  Park  for  $5,000 
a  good  rich-roan  son  of  4th  Duke  of  Clarence, 
known  as  2d  Duke  of  Brant  55479  a  bull  of 
admirable  quality  and  character. 

After  the  death  of  Rigdon  Huston  the  herd 
was  closed  out  at  auction  at  Dexter  Park,  Chi- 
cago, Nov.  21  and  22,  1888,  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  son,  Mr.  Theodore  Huston.*  There 
were  twelve  head  of  Dukes  and  Duchesses  in 
the  sale,  all  descended  from  the  celebrated  10th 
Duchess  of  Airdrie,  and  like  the  Hillhurst  lot 


*  Rigdon  Huston  was  one  of  the  pioneer  breeders  of  the  West  and  was 
a  man  of  the  highest  character,  universally  esteemed.  He  had  from  early 
days  been  an  owner  of  pure-bred  Short-horns,  chosen  primarily  for  their 
individual  merit,  and  he  was  to  the  last  a  consistent  advocate  of  quality  in 
the  animal  as  a  consideration  paramount.  His  son  Theodore  was  of  a  spec- 
ulative turn  of  mind  and  did  not  engage  as  a  partner  in  breeding  with  his 
father  until  the  purchase  of  the  Cannon  herd  was  consummated.  In  1893 
Theodore  Huston,  who  was  in  very  ill  health,  was  appointed  United  States 
Consul  at  El  Paso,  Tex.,  but  even  the  mild  climate  of  that  region  did  not 
save  him  from  an  early  death. 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         765 

sold  at  same  place,  as  noted  on  page  712,  they 
were,  as  a  rule,  of  superior  individual  merit 
and  brought  good  prices.  It  was  claimed  at 
the  time  that  this  was  the  best  collection  of 
Duchesses  in  existence  on  either  side  the  water 
—a  fact  which  was  largely  due  to  the  undoubted 
skill  of  the  Messrs.  Huston.  The  "  plum  "  of  the 
females  was  the  two-year-old  heifer  8th  Duchess 
of  Hilldale,  that  brought  the  long  price  of  $6,600 
from  William  Steele  of  Ionia,  Mich.  The  same 
buyer  took  the  stock  bull  2d  Duke  of  Brant  at 
$3,000.  Mr.  William  Wright  of  Detroit,  Mich., 
bought  the  five-year-old  roan  4th  Duchess  of 
Hilldale  at  $2,600.  John  Hope  bid  off  the  roan 
yearling  12th  Duchess  of  Hilldale  at  $3,000. 
H.  C.  G.  Bals  of  Indianapolis  took  the  red  heifer 
calf  14th  Duchess  of  Hilldale  at  $2,250.  For  the 
red-and-white  six-year-old  cow  3d  Duchess  of 
Hilldale  Messrs.  Flynn  &  Elbert,  Des  Moines, 
la.,  paid  $2,050.  W.  H.  Carlyle,  Plymouth,  0., 
secured  the  four-year-old  6th  Duchess  of  Hill- 
dale  at  $1,950.  B.  C.  Rumsey  of  Buffalo  took 
the  red-roan  yearling  llth  Duchess  of  Hilldale 
at  $1,800.  T.  C.  Anderson,  Side  View,  Ky.,  got 
the  matron  of  the  tribe,  the  ten-year-old  7th 
Duchess  of  Hillhurst,  at  $1,700.  W.  W.  Ben- 
ton,  Mendon,  111.,  bought  the  roan  heifer  calf 
13th  Duchess  of  Hilldale  at  $1,550.  John  Hope 
took  the  red  bull  calf  16th  Duke  of  Hilldale  at 
$1,650.  G.  H.  Barnett  of  Pennsylvania  bought 


766        A   HISTORY   OP   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

the  roan  bull  calf  13th  Duke  of  Hilldale  at  $900. 
The  nine  females  averaged  $2,611;  three  bulls 
averaged  $1,850;  the  twelve  head  bringing 
$29,050— an  average  of  $2,420.85.  Seven  head 
of  Barringtons,  sold  upon  this  same  occasion, 
averaged  $360;  six  Kirklevingtons  averaged 
$352.50;  the  seventy-nine  animals  catalogued 
bringing  $43,320 — an  average  of  $548.35. 

The  old  7th  Duchess  of  Hillhurst  subse- 
quently reverted  to  Mr.  Theodore  Huston  and 
was  sold  along  with  her  heifer  15th  Duchess  of 
Hilldale  at  an  auction  sale  held  at  Abingdon, 
111.,  May  13,  1891,  in  connection  with  a  lot  of 
cattle  belonging  to  Mr.  Strawther  Givens  of  that 
place,  both  of  the  Duchesses  going  to  George 
Allen.  Allerton,  111.,  at  $1,000  for  the  old  cow 
and  $1,500  for  the  heifer.  The  10th  Duchess  of 
Airdrie  ranks  next  in  Duchess  history  to  Duch- 
ess 66th,  ancestress  of  the  New  York  Mills  lot. 
The  great  Woodburn  matron  that  passed  from 
Mr.  Alexander's  hands  to  George  Murray  of 
Racine,  and  from  him  to  Hon.  M.  H.  Cochrane, 
left  a  family  of  descendants  that  sold  in  the 
aggregate  at  public  and  private  sale  for  a  total 
of  about  $300,000.  The  old  cow  died  at  an  ad- 
vanced age  in  1884,  the  property  of  Maj.  S.  E. 
Ward,  Westport,  Mo. 

Sale  of  the  Sittyton  herd.— In  May,  1889, 
the  Short-horn  breeding  world  was  startled  by 
the  report  that  the  entire  Sittyton  herd,  con- 


CLOSING    EVENTS   OF    THE    CENTURY.         767 

sisting  at  that  date  of  154  head,  had  been  sold 
at  private  treaty  to  James  Nelson  &  Sons  of 
Liverpool,  Eng.,  for  exportation  to  the  Argen- 
tine Republic,  South  America.  Those  who  had 
enjoyed  intimate  relations  with  Mr.  Cruickshank 
were  aware  that  the  old  gentleman  had  long 
contemplated  retiring  from  the  profession  in 
which  he  had  gained  world-wide  fame.  Indeed, 
a  proposition  had  been  under  consideration  in 
America  looking  toward  the  formation  of  a  syn- 
dicate for  the  purchase  and  importation  to  this 
country  of  the  entire  herd.  These  negotiations, 
however,  were  not  carried  to  a  successful  issue, 
and  when  the  announcement  was  made  that  the 
stock  was  to  be  shipped  to  Buenos  Ayres  ex- 
pressions of  keen  regret  were  heard  throughout 
all  Britain  and  North  America.  It  is  an  old 
saying  that  "it  is  an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody 
good."  To  the  failure  of  the  great  interna- 
tional banking  house  of  Baring  Bros.,  which  oc- 
curred in  England  soon  after  Messrs.  Nelson 
had  accomplished  the  purchase  of  the  stock, 
Short-horn  breeders  of  Britain,  Canada  and  the 
States  are  indebted  for  the  retention  in  the 
motherland  of  the  bulk  of  the  Sittyton  cattle. 
Grave  financial  complications  in  the  Argentine 
rendered  it  inexpedient  to  carry  out  the  origi- 
nal project  of  shipping  the  entire  herd  to  the 
Southern  Republic. 

Mr.  Robert  Bruce,  then  of  Darlington  and 


768         A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

now  an  official  of  the  Royal  Irish  Agricultural 
Society — one  of  the  best-informed  men  of  his 
time  in  all  Britain  and  a  popular  judge  at  lead- 
ing shows — had  represented  the  Messrs.  Nelson 
in  this  important  transaction  and  decided,  in 
view  of  the  failure  of  the  original  plan  for  ex- 
portation, that  the  herd  had  best  be  held  at  the 
home  farm  pending  some  satisfactory  disposi- 
tion of  the  stock.  This  arrangement  was  car- 
ried into  effect  and  the  cattle  were  kept  at  Sit- 
tyton  until  May,  1890.  Mr.  Bruce  has  given  us 
an  interesting  account  of  the  extreme  reluc- 
tance with  which  Mr.  Cruickshank  finally  parted 
with  his  pets.  We  quote: 

Can  anyone  realize  what  the  selling  of  his  entire  herd  of  Short- 
horns would  mean  to  such  a  man ;  a  herd  which  had  been  the  work 
of  a  lifetime  to  buiid  up?  While  the  transaction  was  being  carried 
through  I  felt  sincere  sympathy  for  him,  as  I  could  see  how  the 
thought  of  parting  with  his  cattle  affected  his  strong  mind.  The 
resolution  to  sell  was  arrived  at  owing  to  his  failing  health  and 
the  fact  that  the  lease  of  his  farm  had  expired ;  and  when  the 
proposition  of  a  private  purchase  of  the  entire  lot  was  made  he 
liked  the  idea,  seeing  it  would  save  him  all  the  worry  and  trouble 
attending  a  public  sale.  In  a  letter  to  me,  dated  May  5, 1889,  he 
wrote:  "In  reply  to  your  letter  regarding  the  Short-horn  cattle, 
my  lease  of  the  farm  expires  next  year.  I  am  in  my  eighty-second 
year  and  from  a  serious  illness  which  I  had  last  year  I  am  not  now 
able  to  give  the  cattle  that  attention  which  I  had  used  to  do  and 
which  is  essentially  necessary  to  continue.  This  is  the  cause  of 
their  being  offered  for  sale." 

William  Duthie  of  Collynie  was  so  fortunate 
as  to  secure  a  majority  of  the  most  useful  cows 
—some  thirty-five  head  in  number.  Mr.  J. 
Deane  Willis  of  Bapton  Manor,  Codford,  Wilt- 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         769 

shire,  Eng.,  bought  all  of  the  yearling  heifers 
excepting  those  of  the  Violet  tribe,  which  fam- 
ily, consisting  of  but  five  females,  was  pur- 
chased, along  with  Grapevine's  bull  calf  Glen- 
garry and  five  other  females,  by  Mr.  C.  W.  Tin- 
dall  for  Mr.  Sutton  Nelthorpe  of  Scawby  Brigg, 
Lincolnshire,  Eng.  Mr.  J.  Wilson  of  Pirries- 
mill,  Huntley,  bought  the  cow  Cordenella  and 
her  bull  calf  Sovereign,  by  Gondomar,  that  be- 
came a  well-known  sire. 

The  stock  bulls  in  the  herd  at  the  time  of 
its  purchase  were  the  following:  Cumberland 
(46144),  Gondolier  (52956),  Commodore  (54118), 
Gondomar  and  Collingwood.  Cumberland  was 
old  and  very  much  worn.  The  flesh  had  slipped 
from  his  chine  and  shoulders,  and  as  it  was  evi- 
dent that  little  if  any  further  service  could  be 
had  from  him  he  was  sent  to  the  butcher. 
Gondolier  was  a  red  by  Cumberland  out  of 
Gilliver  by  Roan  Gauntlet,  with  good  ribs 
and  a  strong  back,  but  lame  at  the  time  of 
his  purchase  in  both  shoulders.  He  was  sold 
to  go  into  Durham,  Eng.  Unfortunately  for 
the  breed  the  last  great  Sittyton  bull,  Commo- 
dore, and  his  good  stable  companion  Gon- 
domar were  shipped  to  South  America.  Mr. 
Bruce  tells  us  that  Mr.  Cruickshank  called 
Commodore  "the  best  animal  that  ever  left  Sit- 
tyton." He  was  sired  by  Baron  Violet  (47444) 
out  of  Custard  by  Royal  Duke  of  Gloster;  sec- 


770        A   HISTORY   OF   bHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ond  dam  Princess  Royal  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land.* -Mr.  Bruce  says  that  viewed  from  the 
side  Commodore  was  simply  perfect  —  very 
level  and  deep.  Seen  from  behind,  however, 
he  thought  him  a  bit  narrow.  His  " roasts" 
were  wide  on  top,  but  his  ribs  did  not  present 
as  perfect  an  arch  as  one  would  like.  Commo- 
dore was  lost  at  sea.  Gondomar,  a  red  of  good 
style  and  character,  by  Feudal  Chief  (51251)  out 
of  Godiva  by  Cumberland;  second  dam  Gilliver 
by  Roan  Gauntlet,  was  extra  good  and  should 
have  been  retained  in  Scotland.  Collingwood 
was  a  bull  of  nice  quality,  but  somewhat  lack- 
ing in  width. 

The  Cruickshank  cows  at  Collynie. — Mr. 
Duthie  originally  bought  the  eighteen  old  cows 
that  the  Nelsons  deemed  too  aged  for  export 
under  agreement  to  remove  them  from  Sittyton 
on  the  1st  of  June,  1889,  and  allow  their  calves 
to  suck  them,  these  calves  to  be  the  property 
of  Messrs.  Nelson,  delivered  in  the  following 

*  Before  taking  leave  of  this  line  of  breeding  we  may  add  the  following 
description  of  this  epoch-making  sire,  furnished  the  author  by  Mr.  John  W, 
Cruickshank:  "Champion  of  England  was  a  beautiful  calf,  his  hair  ac- 
tually waved  in  the  wind,  and  until  his  death  in  1870  no  other  sire  was  so 
fully  trusted;  his  large,  deep  body  was  carried  on  short  legs;  his  quarters, 
though  not  long,  were  broad  and  deep;  his  frame  carried  an  unusually  thick 
covering  of  natural  flesh,  and  so  full  was  he  behind  the  shoulders  that  the 
meat  actually  projected  beyond  the  shoulder  blades.  No  bull  ever  had 
such  an  influence  in  the  herd;  his  calves  could  easily  be  picked  out  and  the 
use  of  his  sons,  grandsons  and  great-grandsons  impressed  the  Sittyton  herd 
generally  with  his  character.  Himself  descended  on  both  sides  from 
tribes  of  good  milking  qualities  his  daughters  were  useful  dairy  cattle  as 
well  as  heavy-fleshed  Short-horns.  His  death  was  the  result  of  calculus, 
and  when  killed  his  organs  were  as  sound  and  healthy  as  possible." 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.         771 

October.  Calves  born  after  the  1st  of  June 
from  these  old  cows  to  be  the  property  of  Mr. 
Duthie.  Following  is  the  full  list  of  cows  final- 
ly obtained  from  Sittyton  for  Collynie:  Of  the 
Venus  tribe,  Juliet,  by  Barmpton  Prince,  Ga- 
zelle, by  Roan  Gauntlet  (both  reds),  and  the 
roan  Gipseywort,  by  Roan  Gauntlet.  Of  the 
Secret  tribe,  the  white  Sobriety  and  the  roan 
Sunflower,  both  by  Roan  Gauntlet;  the  red 
Spirea  and  the  roan  Sarcasm,  both  by  Cumber- 
land, and  the  red  Siren,  by  Commodore.  Of 
the  Pure  Gold  or  Brawith  Bud  tribe,  the  roan 
heifer  Gardenia,  by  Cumberland.  Of  the  Vic- 
toria tribe,  the  roan  Victoria  57th,  by  Barmp- 
ton Prince,  and  the  red  Victoria  58th  (dam  of 
imp.  Baron  Victor),  by  Pride  of  the  Isles.  Of 
the  Duchess  of  Gloster  family,  the  roan  21st  of 
that  name,  by  Barmpton  Prince;  the  roan  24th 
Duchess,  by  Lord  of  the  Isles,  and  the  red  30th 
Duchess,  by  Chancellor.  Of  the  Crocus  sort, 
the  roan  Costume,  by  Bridesman,  the  red  Ca- 
lypso, by  Gondolier,  and  the  roan  Canzonet,  by 
Standard  Bearer.  Of  the  Clipper  sort,  so  fa- 
mous as  bull-breeders  at  Sittyton,  the  red  Cro- 
cus, by  Pride  of  the  Isles,  the  white  Chrysan- 
themum, by 'Crusader,  the  red  Coraline,  by 
Cumberland,  and  the  red  Cluster  Rose,  by  Gon- 
dolier. Of  the  Lavender  family,  the  red  Lav- 
ender 15th,  a  sixteen-year-old  cow  by  Lord 
Warden,  the  roan  Lavender  16th,  by  Lord 


772         A    HISTORY    OF  SHORT-HORN    CATTLE, 

Lansdowne,  fifteen  years  old,  the  roan  Laven- 
der 45th,  by  Baron  Violet,  the  roan  46th,  by 
Dunblane,  the  roan  48th,  by  Cumberland,  and 
the  red  Lavender  50th,  by  Baron  Violet.  Of 
the  Spicey  sort,  the  roan  Seaweed,  by  Perfec- 
tion, the  roan  Silverlocks,  by  Roan  Gauntlet, 
and  the  roan  Sea  Foam,  by  Gondolier.  Of  the 
Lovely  family,  the  fourteen-year-old  red  Lovely 
20th,  by  Lord  Lancaster,  and  the  ten-year-old 
roan  Lovely  35th,  by  Roan  Gauntlet.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  he  took  the  red  fourteen-year-old 
Abarilla,  by  Barmpton  Prince,  and  the  ten- 
year-old  red  Veronica,  by  Pride  of  the  Isles. 
Field  Marshal  and  Mario. — In  acquiring  the 
*' cream"  of  the  breeding  matrons  of  the  Cruick- 
shank  herd,  William  Duthie  virtually  succeeded 
to  the  throne  which  had  been  abdicated  by  the 
sage  of  Sittyton.  A  near  neighbor  and  good 
friend  of  the  grand  old  man,  Mr.  Duthie  had 
already  had  in  service  the  famous  roan  Field 
Marshal  (47870),  by  Roan  Gauntlet  out  of  Azalea 
by  Caesar  Augustus.  This  was  a  great  bull  in 
every  sense  of  the  term  so  far  as  conformation 
was  concerned,  but  scarcely  perfect  in  his 
handling  qualities.  He  was  a  massive  2,500-lb. 
bull  with  a  good  head,  wonderful  back,  ribs, 
loins  and  quarters,  but  rather  bare  below;  and 
he  and  his  stock  lacked  a  little  of  that  soft, 
mellow  covering  of  flesh  so  highly  prized  by 
so  many  judges.  In  Mr.  Duthie's  hands  he 


CLOSING    EVENTS   OF    THE    CENTURY.         773 

sired  some  of  the  most  celebrated  show  and 
breeding  stock  ever  sent  out  from  the  North  of 
Scotland.  One  of  his  sons,  the  famous  Mario 
(51713),  was  the  greatest  show  bull  of  his  day 
in  Britain.  In  the  herd  of  Mr.  A.  M.  Gordon  of 
Newton,  Mario  carried  the  championship  prizes 
at  both  the  Royal  and  Highland  shows  of  1888, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1889,  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  C.  W.  Brierley,  he  was  on  a  tri- 
umphal tour  of  the  English  circuit.  Mario  in- 
herited Field  Marshal's  substance  and  flesh,  but 
like  his  sire  was  somewhat  wanting  in  the  ele- 
ment of  quality.*  Field  Marshal  was  let  for  a 
period  of  three  years  to  William  Tait,  manager 
for  the  Queen  of  England  at  Her  Majesty's 
Shaw  farm  at  Windsor;  a  stroke  of  policy  on 
Mr.  Duthie's  part  which  proved  fruitful  of  re- 
sults to  the  Scotch  Short-horn  interest  in  Eng- 
land. The  mere  fact  that  Royalty  had  taken 
up  with  an  Aberdeenshire-bred  sire  of  itself 


*Robert  Bruce  says:  "Mario  was  a  large  bull.  Many  English  judges 
did  not  have  a  very  high  opinion  of  him,  and  there  is  no  doubt  that  there 
was  some  truth  in  what  they  said,  viz. :  'He  was  like  a  fat  steer.'  I  went 
to  bviy  him  as  a  three-year-old  having  him  in  price,  and  was  asked  by  Mr. 
Gordon  to  put  the  question  of  purchase  aside  and  tell  him  if  I  considered 
the  bull  good  enough  to  win  in  England.  If  I  thought  so  he  would  much 
like  to  show  him.  I  said  I  considered  him  good  enough,  and  chalked  out 
a  course  of  shows  he  should  be  entered  for.  He  made  his  first  appearance 
at  Peterboro,  where  he  was  passed  over  without  a  prize,  but  he  was  so 
different  from  the  others  that  general  attention  was  called  to  the  awards. 
After  Peterboro  he  won  straight  through  for  two  years  and  did  much  to 
attract  attention  in  England  to  Scotch  Short-horns. 

"Mario,  New  Year's  Gift,  Challenge  Cup,  Major  and  Count  Lavender 
stood  out  so  clearly  as  winners  that  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  at  almost  all 
the  principal  English  shows  they  were  judged  by  breeders  who  had  little 
liking  for  Sittyton  blood  they  could  not  be  set  aside." 


774        A    HISTORY   OP   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

paved  the  way  for  the  breaking  down  of  that 
general  prejudice  which  had  up  to  this  time  ex- 
isted in  England  against  the  North  country 
type.  Shortly  after  the  return  of  Field  Mar- 
shal to  Collynie,  in  the  fall  of  1889,  the  great 
bull  accidentally  slipped  and  injured  himself  in 
such  a  manner  as  destroyed  his  further  useful- 
ness. 

Scottish  Archer  and  Count  Lavender. — It 
was  in  the  spring  of  1890  that  Deane  Willis 
made  his  memorable  purchase  of  thirty-three 
yearling  Sittyton-bred  heifers  and  the  two  bulls 
Scottish  Archer  (59893)  and  Captain  of  the 
Guard.  This  removed  to  the  South  of  England 
a  good  percentage  of  the  Cruickshank  females 
and  Bapton  Manor  and  Collynie  became  the 
headquarters  for  the  Sittyton  sorts.  Mr.  Willis 
worked  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Duthie  in  the 
matter  of  sires,  and  both  have  met  with  much 
success  in  supplying  show-yard  winners  and 
breeding  animals  for  leading  British  and  Amer- 
ican herds.  Scottish  Archer  was  a  roan  by 
Cumberland  out  of  the  Secret  cow  Surname  by 
Pride  of  the  Isles,  and  ultimately  became  the 

•  property  of  Mr.  Duthie,  proving,  as  shown  by 
the  late  Collynie  sales,  the  most  popular  of  all 

•  the  latter-day  Scottish  sires. 

A  bull  that  did  the  Willis  herd  excellent 
service  and  extended  still  further  the  fame  of 
the  Scotch  type  in  British  show-yards  was  the 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         775 

roan  Count  Lavender  (60545).  Soon  after  Mr. 
Willis  acquired  the  Sittyton  heifers  the  ques- 
tion of  a  suitable  bull  for  them  came  up,  and 
the  matter  was  discussed  with  Mr.  Cruickshank 
himself.  In  reference  to  this  Mr.  Robert  Bruce 
says  :  "  Of  course  he  knew  well  the  Lavender 
blood  and  also  that  of  the  sire  Norseman 
(56233).  Together  we  went  carefully  into  the 
pedigree  of  the  grandsire,  Earl  of  March  (33807),* 
and  I  was  rather  surprised  to  find  that  Mr. 
Cruickshank  could  remember  the  bull  and 
speak  of  his  many  strong  points  as  well  as  of 
a  slight  dip  in  the  middle  of  his  back.  After 
considering  the  subject  in  his  usual  careful 
way  he  said :  '  Mr.  Willis  may  use  Count  Lav- 
ender on  my  heifers  with  every  confidence/ 
The  result  at  Bapton  has  most  completely 
borne  out  the  old  man's  opinion."  As  seen  by 
the  writer  at  the  Warwick  Royal  of  1892,  Count 
Lavender  was  a  bull  of  superior  finish  and 
quality,  evenly  covered  with  mellow  flesh  and 
standing  near  to  the  ground.  We  thought  he 
lacked  somewhat,  however,  in  real  substance. 
Another  good  bull  used  in  the  Willis  herd  was 
Roan  Robin  (57992),  obtained  from  Mr.  Duthie 
in  exchange,  we  believe,  for  Scottish  Archer. 
He  was  sired  by  Cumberland  out  of  Glowworm 
by  Roan  Gauntlet. 

*  Earl  of  March  was  a  roan,  bred  by  Bruce  of  Burnside,  from  Frederick 
Fitz  Windsor  (31196)  out  of  Fanny  (the  dam  of  Potts'  imp.  Duke  of  Rich- 
mond) by  Royal  Errant. 


776        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Mr.  Willis  has  enjoyed  an  extensive  patron- 
age, and  a  yearling  bull  of  his  breeding,  Bapton 
Emperor,  bought  after  winning  at  the  Royal 
by  Mr.  Marr,  was  recently  resold  for  export  to 
South  America  for  £800. 

Argentine  and  the  shambles. — The  project 
of  shipping  to  South  America  was  not  entirely 
abandoned.  In  addition  to  the  stock  bulls 
Commodore  and  Gondomar  there  were  sent  out 
to  Argentine  in  the  early  autumn  of  1889  the 
following  cows:  Juniper,  Gilliver  (dam  of  Gon- 
dolier and  Master  of  the  Realm),  Golden  Au- 
tumn (dam  of  Craven  Knight),  Glowworm, 
Godiva  (dam  of  Gondomar),  Genista,  Golden 
Pippin,  Godetia,  Grapevine,  Gladys,  Victorias 
74th,  77th  and  78th,  Candytuft,  Corncockle, 
Cardamine,  Crowfoot,  Coltsfoot,  Ceres,  Christo- 
bel,  Cynthia,  Christmas  Carol,  Cordelia,  Canter- 
bury Bell,  Orange  Blossom  30th,  Barmpton 
Lily,  Lady  of  the  Forest  and  Nonpareil  20th. 
This  included  quite  a  group  of  Brawith  Buds 
and  Clippers. 

The  following  were  sent  to  the  butcher:  Gay- 
flower,  Sunflower,  Catherine,  Cyclamen,  Con- 
stance, the  famous  Custard,  then  in  her  four- 
teenth year;  Capsicum,  Cloud  Wreath,  Cinna- 
mon, Lavenders  37th  and  49th  and  Sea  Pink. 

Summary  of  Sittyton  sales. — During  a  pe- 
riod of  thirty-five  years,  extending  from  1842 
to  1876,  inclusive,  there  were  sold  for  breeding 


RESIDENCE  OF  J.   DEANE  WILLTS 
OF  BAPTON  MANOR. 


CLOSING  EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         777 

purposes  from  Sittyton  1,030  bulls  at  an  aver- 
age of  £36  12s.  9d.  and  321  cows  and  heifers  at 
an  average  of  £32  14s.  9d. — a  total  of  1,351  ani- 
mals for  £48,247,  an  average  of  £35  14s.  From 
1877  to  1889  practically  the  entire  surplus  of 
young  bulls  was  sold  to  the  United  States  and 
Canada  after  the  wants  of  a  few  regular  custo- 
mers, had  been  supplied.  The  surplus  heifers 
were  mostly  exported  during  these  same  sea- 
sons. A  close  estimate  of  total  sales  made  from 
the  herd  for  breeding  purposes  for  the  forty- 
seven  years  ended  in  1889  includes  1,912  ani- 
males  for  which  there  was  received  something 
over  £68,000.* 

*The  author  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting1  Amos  Cruickshank  at  his 
home  at  Sittyton  in  June,  1892,  in  company  with  Mr.  Duthie  and  Col.  W.  A. 
Harris.  Although  then  an  octogenarian  Mr.  Cruickshank's  mind  was  still 
unclouded  and  he  readily  answered  all  questions  put  to  him  concerning1  his 
life  work.  He  was  often  asked  not  only  directly  but  in  a  roundabout  way 
which  of  his  families  he  looked  upon  with  most  favor,  but  no  one  could 
ever  get  him  to  make  any  definite  statement  on  the  subject.  He  pointed  out 
that  many  of  them  were,  through  the  sires  he  had  largely  used,  closely  al- 
lied, and  one  could  gather  from  his  talk  that  in  his  selection  of  stock  bulls 
he  was  influenced  much  by  the  qualifications  of  the  dam  and  grandams,-his 
judgment  of  their  merits  being  based  upon  a  high  standard  of  excellence  in 
the  matters  of  constitution,  quality,  milk  and  flesh.  He  was  using  at  the 
time  the  herd  was  sold  two  bulls  of  the  Clipper  and  two  of  the  Pure  Gold 
families,  while  he  had  retained  for  service  a  yearling  bull  of  the  Premium 
or  Crocus  sort.  His  death  occurred  at  Sittyton  May  1895. 

Mr.  Bruce  relates  the  following  incident  which  occurred  during  the 
closing  years  of  the  old  man's  life,  illustrating  the  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  in  the  highest  circles : 

"On  one  of  the  days  of  the  Highland  Show  at  Aberdeen  in  July,  1894,  a 
homely  little  ceremony  took  place  which  excited  more  than  ordinary  in- 
terest. From  the  Royal  box  in  the  grand  stand  his  Royal  Highness  the 
Duke  of  York,  President  of  the  Society  for  the  year,  was  witnessing  the 
parade  of  the  live  stock.  Some  one  mentioned  to  his  Royal  Highness  that 
not  far  away  on  the  stand  a  seat  was  occupied  by  that  prince  of  cattle* 
breeders,  Amos  Cruickshank,  Sittyton.  At  once  his  Royal  Highness  de- 
sired that  Mr.  Cruickshank  be  summoned  to  the  Royal  box.  The  octo- 
genarian farmer  and  breeder,  presenting  a  characteristic  figure  with  his 


778         A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Moberley  and  Young  Abbottsburn. — In  Sep- 
tember, 1890,  Col.  Thomas  S.  Moberley  of  For- 
est Grove  Farm,  Richmond,  Ky.,  began  a  series 
of  show-yard  campaigns,  made  memorable  by 
the  exhibition  of  the  massive  Cruickshank  bull 
Young  Abbottsburn  1 10679.  Col.  Moberley  had 
for  some  years  been  prominent  as  a  breeder 
and  fitter  of  Bates  and  Bates-crossed  stock,  and 
his  great  coup  of  1890  came  as  a  complete  sur- 
prise to  the  Short-horn  breeding  interests  of 
the  States.  Imp.  Cupbearer,  at  that  time 
owned  by  Williams  &  Householder,  Columbus, 
Kan.,  was  the  reigning  king  of  Western  show- 
yards.  Moberley  determined  that  if  there 
was  a  bull  in  North  America  capable  of  coping 
with  Cupbearer  he  would  find  him  and  place 
him  at  the  head  of  his  Forest  Grove  show  stock. 
Like  all  others  who  at  that  period  sought  show 

quiet  attire,  long  white  locks,  and  strong  modest  face,  obeyed  the  Royal 
command,  and  was  received  most  cordially  by  his  Royal  Highness.  This 
incident,  simple  and  interesting  in  itself,  gave  unbounded  pleasure  to  the 
crowd  of  onlookers,  who  applauded  warmly  as  the  venerable  breeder  was 
seen  to  make  his  way  back  from  the  presence  of  Royalty.  It  was  a  singu- 
larly happy  occurrence  that  meeting  of  the  youthful  Prince  and  the  patri- 
archal farmer— one  of  many  similarly  happy  incidents  which  illumine  and 
distinguish  the  movements  of  the  R?yal  family,  demonstrating  their  ever 
anxious  desire  to  recognize  and  duly  honor  noble  achievement  in  what- 
ever walk  of  life  it  may  be  observed. 

"Amos  Cruickshank  was  then  in  his  eighty-sixth  year.  Although 
bowed  down  with  the  weight  of  years,  he  was  not  unnaturally  anxious 
again  to  witness  the  Highland  Show — anxious  in  particular  that  he  might 
see  the  Royal  Duke  who  had  honored  Scotch  agriculturists  by  becoming 
the  President  of  their  National  Agricultural  Society  and  arranging  to  visit 
its  show  in  the  Granite  City.  Happily  Mr.  Cruickshank's  desire  was  ful- 
filled, and  by  the  incident  just  mentioned  an  honor  was  added  which  he 
had  not  dreamt  of,  but  which  deeply  gratified  him.  Talking  over  the 
honor  done  him,  he  said  to  me  :  '  I  feel  gratified,  deeply  gratified,  but  ha'l 
I  known  what  was  before  me  I  could  never  have  left  Sittyton.' " 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.          779 

bulls  of  the  heaviest  caliber,  he  found  himself 
compelled  to  turn  to  the  Aberdeenshire  type. 
Visiting  Canada  he  found  the  object  of  his 
quest — a  five-year-old  roan,  bred  and  owned  by 
Messrs.  Watt. 

We  have  already  related  that  in  1874  the  late 
Joseph  Thomson  of  Whitby,  Ontario,  imported 
the  roan  Cruickshank  heifer  Village  Bud,  by 
Scotland's  Pride.  She  was  the  best  female  in 
the  Thomson  sale  and  was  bought  by  Messrs. 
Watt  of  Salem,  Ontario,  for  $925.  She  was  in 
calf  at  the  time  to  the  roan  bull  Ben  Wyvis 
(30528),  bred  at  Sittyton  from  Caesar  Augustus 
and  Butterfly's  Joy  of  the  Towneley  line.  The 
resulting  calf  was  the  dark-roan  heifer  Village 
Blossom,  that  grew  into  an- exceptionally  thick, 
short-legged,  heavy  cow  that  won  first  prizes 
in  her  class  at  the  leading  Canadian  shows,  be- 
sides being  a  member  of  a  herd  that  won  first 
place  wherever  exhibited.  This  prize  cow  was 
bred  to  Abbottsburn  106090,  a  roan,  imported 
in  1883  by  James  I.  Davidson,  sired  by  Roan 
Gauntlet  out  of  Amaranth  by  Barmpton.  To 
this  service  Village  Blossom  produced  March  2, 
1885,  the  roan  bull  calf  Young  Abbottsburn, 
which  at  seven  months  old  was  sold  to  Mr. 
Alex.  Norrie  of  Paisley,  Ontario,*  in  whose  pos- 

*Mr.  Norrle  is  at  present  herd  manager  for  Messrs.  Dustin,  Summer 
Hill,  111.,  and  selected  for  them  in  Scotland  In  1898  the  prize  bull  Merry 
Hampton,  possessing  something'  of  the  same  thickness  and  feeding  quality 
of  the  grand  old  bull  which  he  developed  in  Canada . 


780        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

session  he  remained  for  four  years.  He  was 
shown  locally  as  a  yearling  and  two-year-old; 
but  during  all  the  years  that  the  bull  was  in 
Nome's  possession  the  Messrs.  Watt  had  not 
seen  him,  although  some  extraordinary  state- 
ments as  to  his  character  reached  their  ears. 
At  Nome's  sale  in  1889  Mr.  Watt  bought  him 
back,  " because/'  he  says,  "on  seeing  Young 
Abbottsburn  I  had  to  admit  that  the  half  had 
not  been  told  concerning  him."  He  resembled 
his  sire,  Abbottsburn,  in  a  general  way,  but 
was  heavier.  Mr.  Watt  states  that  as  a  calf 
Young  Abbottsburn  was  not  very  well  cared 
for.  He  had  run  with  his  mother  all  through 
the  summer  months,  and  up  to  the  time  he  was 
sold  had  received  no  grain  and  was  not  re- 
garded as  an  extraordinary  calf.  Norrie  bought 
him  at  $200,  and  to  him  credit  must  be  given 
for  developing  probably  the  greatest  carcass 
ever  seen  in  the  show-yards  of  North  America. 
He  was  used  as  a  stock  bull  by  Mr.  Norrie,  and 
served  other  cows  in  the  neighborhood,  siring 
some  useful  cattle,  which,  as  a  rule,  bred  better 
than  themselves.  At  the  time  the  bull  was 
bought  back  from  Mr.  Norrie  he  weighed  nearly 
2,600  Ibs.  He  had  been  kept  in  a  box-stall  with 
free  access  to  a  yard  of  moderate  size  where  he 
could  take  exercise  at  will;  the  door  of  his  box 
being  seldom  closed  in  summer  or  winter.  His 
principal  feed  had  been  roots  and  hay  with  the 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTUEY.         781 

addition  of  a  little  grain,  but  he  was  a  remark- 
ably easy  feeder  and  a  perfect  picture  of  con- 
tentment always. 

Moberley  was  a  shrewd  enough  judge  of  good 
Short-horns  to  realize  that  he  had  discovered 
in  this  bull  a  most  extraordinary  animal,  and 
closed  a  trade  for  his  transfer  to  the.States.  It 
was  at  the  Detroit  Exposition,  held  the  first 
week  in  September,  1890,  that  Young  Abbotts- 
burn  made  his  debut  on  this  side  of  the  line. 
He  did  not  arrive  in  time  to  compete  in  the 
bull  class,*  but  Colonel  Moberley  was  allowed  to 
place  him  at  the  head  of  his  cattle  in  the  herd 
competition.  Notwithstanding  the  novelty  of 
a  "  braw  "  Scotch  rent-payer  leading  the  high- 
bred daughters  of  noble  Dukes,  there  was  no 
escape  from  the  decision  which  sent  first  prize 
to  the  Forest  Grove  lot  as  thus  lined  up.  At 
this  show  Moberley  was  either  unable  or  un- 
willing to  give  out  information  as  to  the  bull's 
name  or  breeding,  claiming  to  have  left  the 
pedigree  at  home.  He  was  thereupon  dubbed 
by  the  ring-side  talent  "the  great  unknown," 

*  Messrs.  Sanger  of  Wisconsin  were  first  in  aged  bulls  at  this  Exposi- 
tion with  Prince  Victoria  of  Hickory  Park  94481,  a  thick-fleshed  bull  of  great 
substance,  sired  by  Earl  of  Richmond  out  of  Victoria  55th  by  Royal  Duke  of 
Pleasant  Ridge  36839;  thus  blending  the  blood  of  imp.  Duke  of  Richmond 
with  that  of  the  Milne  and  Lowman  &  Smith  Victorias  already  mentioned  as 
being  among  the  best  Scotch  cattle  ever  seen  in  America.  This  Sanger  bull 
sired  among  other  good  things  H.  F.  Brown's  champion  show  bull  Victor  of 
Browndale  117621,  out  of  the  grand  heifer  Victoria  of  Glenwood  8th,  which 
In  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Sanger  and  Brown  was  for  several  seasons  the 
"crack"  female  of  the  breed  in  the  West.  She  was  a  wonderfully  thick, 
neat,  low-legged  red,  familiarly  known  as  "the  white-legged  heifer,"  in 
allusion  to  her  color  markings. 


782        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

which  sobriquet  clung  to  him  long  after  his 
identity  was  revealed.  The  news  of  his  appear- 
ance and  of  his  overpowering  flesh  and  sub- 
stance traveled  far  and  fast.  Cupbearer  at  the 
Ohio  State  Fair  was  renewing  his  triumphs  of 
previous  years,  and  before  the  first  meeting  of 
the  two  North  Country  champions  occurred  at 
the  Illinois  State  Fair  at  Peoria  interest  in  the 
impending  duel  had  become  intense.  Probably 
no  event  in  American  show-yard  history  aroused 
more  intense  excitement  than  attended  this 
memorable  meeting*.  The  following  review  of 
this  rencontre  from  notes  made  by  the  author  at 
the  time  was  published  in  the  Breeder's  Gazette 
for  Oct.  8,  1890  : 

"I  have  read  so  much  about  Cupbearer  in  THE  GAZETTE  for  the 
past  two  or  three  years,  and  was  so  interested  in  your  account  of 

"The  judges  upon  this  occasion  were  Messrs.  Thomas  Clark,  Beecher, 
111.,  one  of  America's  best  breeders  and  most  successful  exhibitors  of 
Herefords;  and  Robert  B.  Ogilvie,  late  of  Madison,  Wis.  Mr.  Ogilvie,  while 
devoted  to  mercantile  pursuits,  has  been  a  life-long  admirer  of  the  im- 
proved breeds  of  live-stock,  and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  enjoyed  the 
acquaintance  of  practically  all  of  the  leading  breeders  and  exhibitors  of 
the  United  States  and  Canada.  He  acquired  international  reputation  as  a 
breeder  of  Clydesdales  at  Blairgowrie  Farm ;  his  exhibits  of  draft  horses 
of  that  type,  with  the  famous  McQueen  at  the  head,  constituting  one  of 
the  chief  attractions  of  the  Clydesdale  dhows  of  their  time.  Fond  of  a 
good  Short-horn,  a  recognized  judge  of  sheep  and  a  close  student  of  every- 
thing pertaining  to  stock- breeding  interests,  Mr.  Ogilvie  possessed  a  wide 
and  varied  range  of  information  bearing  upon  all  the  leading  types  of  do- 
mestic animals. 

Cupbearer  in  his  old  age  became  the  property  of  Milton  E.  Jones  of 
Cherry  Grove  Farm,  Williamsville,  111.,  in  whose  hands  he  died  several 
years  since.  It  cannot  be  said  that  he  ever  had  a  thorough  test  as  a  breed- 
ing bull,  as  he  was  passed  around  from  one  herd  to  another  and  kept  in 
show  condition  for  so  many  years  that  he  never  had  full  opportunity  of 
demonstrating  what  he  might  be  worth  for  stock  purposes.  In  the  hands 
of  William  Miller  at  Storm  Lake,  he  got  one  of  the  best  Scotch  cows  ever 
owned  in  the  West— the  beautiful  roan  Gwendoline  3d,  sold  to  Col  Mober- 
ley  and  afterward  bought  by  Messrs.  Mitchel . 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE    CENTURY.         783 

Col.  Moberley's  new  bull,  that  I  thought  I  would  come  to  Peoria 
and  see  the  fun."  Such  was  the  explanation  of  their  unaccus- 
tomed presence  at  an  Illinois  State  Fair  made  to  the  writer  by 
something  less  than  a  thousand  cattle-growers  from  different 
States  who  have  not  been  in  the  habit  of  attending  the  big  shows. 
The  leading  professional  breeders  were  there  as  a  matter  of 
course.  Indeed  everybody  and  his  neighbor  seemed  to  be  present 
when  the  ring  for  aged  bulls  was  called,  and  those  who  could  not 
arrive  in  time  telegraphed  freely  their  regrets.  The  excitement 
was  at  fever  heat.  It  was  indeed  to  be. a  "battle  royal,"  and  it 
can  be  truthfully  asserted  that  the  enthusiasm  engendered  by  this 
meeting  of  the  two  greatest  show  bulls  of  recent  years  in  the 
West  has  kindled  an  interest  in  the  breeding  and  exhibition  of 
good  Short-horns,  and  spurred  the  flagging  energies  of  prominent 
showmen  in  a  manner  quite  unknown  since  the  days  of  Col.  King's 
triumphal  tour,  which  culminated  so  many  years  ago  under  that 
famous  canvas  at  St.  Louis. 

Cupbearer — son  of  the  great  Rob  Roy,  sire  of  the  rising  English 
champion  Challenge  Cup,  and  victor  in  half  a  hundred  fields — was 
first  in  position.  "He  can't  be  beaten"  was  the  emphatic  pro. 
nouncement  as  the  superbly-poised  and  admirably-finished  form 
of  Mr.  Householder's  famous  bull  was  fairly  settled  to  receive  the 
shock  of  show-yard  assault ;  and  while  the  crowed  feasted  their 
eyes  upon  his  noble  outline  Messrs.  Henn  and  Wilhoit  entered  the 
lists  with  Phenomenon  and  Goldstick— both  reds,  both  wearers  of 
championship  honors,  both  in  good  form,  but  both  unequal  to  the 
task  of  closing  with  such  "sluggers"  as  confronted  them  upon 
this  occasion.  "One  story's  good  till  another's  told."  One  fa- 
vorite receives  our  plaudits  till  another  comes  upon  the  scene. 
Cupbearer's  triumph  was  complete  till  Young  Abbottsburn  was 
drawn  into  the  yard.  From  the  moment  the  mighty  roan  entered 
the  ring  the  champion  of  1888  and  1889  was  on  the  defensive.  The 
hero  of  Detroit,  Columbus  and  Indianapolis,  with  his  world  of 
flesh  and  substance,  seemed  to  fill  the  entire  arena.  By  compari- 
son Phenomenon  (heavy  as  he  is)  seemed  to  shrink  into  a  pigmy ; 
Goldstick's  "bit  fault"  (standing  a  trifle  away  from  the  ground) 
grew  into  something  which  it  is  not,  and  Cupbearer  himself  began 
to  lose  perceptibly  in  breadth  of  beam.  An  attack  is  apt  to  be 
more  confidently  undertaken  than  a  defense.  Moberley  had  given 
instructions  to  his  herdsmen  to  await  the  entrance  of  the  king  and 
challenge  him  on  whatever  ground  he  might  select,  and  the  nearer 
this  spot  was  reached  the  more  apparent  became  the  fact  that  a 
new  idol  was  about  to  be  set  up.  True  the  showy  Duthie  bull  had 


784        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

defenders  to  the  last,  but  wben  the  crown  was  finally  sent  to  his 
thicker,  meatier  adversary  the  triumph  of  Amos  Cruickshank's 
real  old  work-a-day  type  was  quite  complete.  One  bystander  gave 
exaggerated  expression  to  a  feeling  that  possessed  a  majority  of 
the  breeders  present  by  saying:  "Cupbearer  is  the  dude,  Young 
Abbottsburn  the  solid  farmer" — one  way  of  saying  that  the  latter 
is  of  a  more  eminently  useful  feeder's  type.  Cupbearer  has  been 
an  almost  certain  winner  by  reason  of  his  matchless  smoothness, 
marvelously-spread  loin,  level  quarters,  refined  conformation  and 
gay  carriage.  Young  Abbottsburn  crushes  all  before  him  by  an 
incomparable  wealth  of  flesh,  in  addition  to  which  his  head  is 
more  truly  masculine,  his  crops  are  better  covered  and  his  lower 
lines  are  fuller  than  those  of  his  chief  antagonist.  He  is  a  2,800-lb. 
bull,  standing  (at  the  brisket)  but  fourteen  inches  from  the 
ground,  with  a  rich  roan  coat  and  a  good  mellow  hide,  full  of  that 
golden  coloring  matter  that  indicates  the  easy  keeper  and  great 
"doer."  He  is  low,  wide,  compact  and  smoothly  laden  with 
flesh  of  good  quality  from  horns  to  hocks.  He  has  a  good,  broad 
head  and  horns  of  the  right  sort,  a  mild,  placid  eye,  and  one  of 
those  quiet,  even  temperaments  that  tell  of  a  disposition  favorable 
to  the  putting  on  of  meat.  There  is  some  little  show  of  unevenness 
over  the  blades,  but  not  so  much  of  a  roll  as  Cupbearer  sports. 
He  does  not  finish  out  behind  the  hooks  quite  so  perfectly  as  the 
other,  but  is  yet  a  grand-quartered  bull  and  thicker  in  his  rounds, 
"The  king  is  dead;  long  live  the  king." 

Young  Abbottsburn  cost  in  Canada  $425! 
Whatever  of  lingering  doubt  in  relation  to 
the  feeding  and  flesh-carrying  capacity  of  the 
Cruickshank  cattle  may  have  existed  prior  to 
this  date  was  dispelled  once  for  all  by  the  ex- 
hibition of  this  wonderful  bull  at  the  American 
shows  from  1890  to  1893.  From  the  day  of  his 
lirst  appearance  at  Detroit  until  crowned  with 
the  championship  of  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition  there  were  none  to  challenge  his 
complete  supremacy.  Open  to  criticism,  per- 
haps, upon  the  score  of  some  lack  of  character, 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         785 

Young  Abbottsburn  was  such  a  feed-lot  model 
that  he  fairly  carried  the  corn-belt  by  storm. 
He  was  universally  recognized  by  practical 
men  as  the  sort  of  a  beast  that  would  convert 
grain  and  grass  into  prime  heavy  beef  on  short 
notice.  Notwithstanding  the  efforts  of  his 
owner  and  his  new  trainer  (Mr.  Forbes),  he 
did  not  stop  putting  on  pounds  avoirdupois 
until  his  log-like  carcass  pulled  down  the  scales 
at  over  2,800  Ibs.  Such  weight  without  height 
has  probably  never  been  seen  in  any  other 
animal  of  any  breed  on  this  continent.  It  was 
scarcely  to  be  expected  that  such  a  ponderous, 
short-legged  show  bull  would  prove  particu- 
larly active  or  useful  as  a  stock-getter,  and  un- 
fortunately his  legacy  to  the  breed,  aside  from 
his  show-yard  triumphs,  was  not  large. 

Mary  Abbottsburn  7th. — Basking  in  the  sun- 
shine of  the  popularity  of  Young  Abbottsburn, 
Col.  Moberley's  views  of  breeding  rapidly  ex- 
panded. He  no  longer  subscribed  to  the  doc- 
trine that  all  excellence  within  the  breed  was 
necessarily  circumscribed  by  the  comparatively 
narrow  circle  that  had  Kirklevington  for  its 
center.  In  response  to  a  query  propounded 
just  after  his  purchase  of  the  great  Scotch  bull 
as  to  what  he  proposed  to  do  with  a  beast  of 
that  breeding,  he  replied:  "Use  him  a  little 
and  show  him  'right  smart/"  He  did  more 
than  this;*  He  used  him  "right  smart"  besides 


786         A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

crushing  all  competition  at  the  shows.  The 
percentage  of  cows  got  in  calf  was,  however, 
not  large,  so  that  the  bull's  progeny  at  Forest 
Grove  were  not  so  numerous  as  Col.  Moberley 
would  have  wished.  Had  the  bull  never  sired 
anything  else,  however,  than  Mary  Abbottsburn 
7th  his  fame  would  have  been  secure  for  all 
time.  We  have  already  noted  the  great  success 
attending  the  use  of  Scotch  bulls  upon  cows  of 
the  Young  Mary  tribe  in  the  hands  of  Messrs. 
Potts,  Wilhoit  and  Harris;  a  success  which  was 
repeated  by  many  of  their  contemporaries.  It 
remained  for  Col.  Moberley  and  Young  Abbotts- 
burn,  however,  to  cap  the  climax,  so  far  as  this 
particular  cross  is  concerned,  by  giving  to  the 
breed  the  champion  show  cow  just  mentioned. 
Her  dam  was  the  red  Forest  Belle  6th,  bred  by 
Col.  Moberley  from  the  Re  nick  Rose  of  Sharon 
bull  Minnie's  Duke  of  Sycamore  57120  out  of 
Sparsewood  Mary  3d,  bred  by  Tracy  Bros.,  Win- 
chester, Ky.,  from  Cambridge  Rose  Duke  2d 
22295  (also  of  Mr.  Renick's  favorite  tribe)  and 
sired  by  the  4th  Duke  of  Geneva.  She  fed 
kindly  from  the  start,  and,  as  a  buxom  heifer 
of  rare  promise,  was  bought  by  Aaron  Barber, 
York  State's  enthusiastic  admirer  of  good  Short- 
horns, at  the  round  price,  for  those  times,  of 
$1,000 — after  winning  the  yearling  heifer  cham- 
pionship over  all  breeds  at  the  Illinois  State 
Fair  of  1894.  She  matured  into  one 'of  the  no- 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.          787 

blest  cows  of  any  breed  known  to  the  American 
cattle  trade.  She  had  a  back  like  a  billiard 
table  and  her  wide,  deep  ribs  and  long,  level 
quarters  were  wrapped  in  a  wealth  of  flesh  that 
constantly  recalled  the  carcass  of  her  illustrious 
sire.  From  1894  to  1898,  inclusive,  Mary  Ab- 
bottsburn  7th,  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Barber,  was 
the  unrivaled  queen  of  American  Short-horn 
cows.* 

Col.  Moberley  fortified  his  show  herd  further 
by  purchasing  from  Arthur  Johnston  of  Canada 
the  roan  Nonpareil  Chief  113034,  sired  by  imp. 
Indian  Chief  out  of  the  Kinellar-bred  imp. 
Nonpareil  36th.  Not  so  massive  as  Young 
Abbottsburn  he  was  yet  a  bull  of  strong  parts, 
well  covered  with  flesh  of  fine  quality  and  pos- 
sessing good  Short-horn  character.  At  the 
Columbian  Exposition  Col.  Moberley  had  the 
honor  of  winning  first  and  third  in  the  greatest 
ring  of  aged  bulls  ever  seen  in  America  with 
Young  Abbottsburn  and  Nonpareil  Chief  re- 
spectively. 

Forest  Grove  sale.— During  the  summer  of 
1895  Col.  Moberley  was  accidentally  drowned 
in  the  surf  at  Virginia  Beach  on  the  Atlantic 
coast,  an  occurrence  which  brought  sorrow  to 
the  entire  Short-horn  breeding  fraternity  and 

*  A  colored  lithograph  of  Mary  Abbottsburn  7th's  head  and  neck  from  a 
painting  by  Hills  was  the  leading  pictorial  feature  of  the  Christmas  num- 
ber of  the  Breeder's  Gazette  for  1899.  "  Queen  Mary,"  as  she  was  often  called, 
became  during  that  year  the  property  of  Mr.  W.  A.  Boland  of  New  York 
city,  proprietor  of  a  stock  farm  at  Grass  Lake,  Mich. 


788         A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

took  from  the  ranks,  while  still  in  his  prime, 
one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  friends  of  the 
breed.  He  had  only  finished  collecting  by  pur- 
chase a  valuable  group  of  Scotch-bred  cows 
and  heifers,  including  Princess  Alice,  Gwendo- 
line 2d,  7th  Linwood  Golden  Drop,  imp.  Daisy 
of  North  Oaks,  Orange  Blossom  31st  and  imp. 
Victoria  79th,  and  was  preparing  to  engage  ex- 
tensively in  intermingling  the  best  Bates  and 
Cruickshank  blood.  Mary  Abbottsburn  7th 
furnished  the  inspiration,  and  while  Col.  Mo- 
berley  did  not  live  to  carry  out  his  work  he  set 
an  example  of  broad-minded  appreciation  of 
merit  wherever  found  that  should  not  be  with- 
out its  lesson.  His  herd  was  sold  at  execu- 
tor's sale  at  Richmond  in  October,  1895,  while 
the  country  was  still  prostrated  from  the  un- 
paralleled financial  panic  of  1893  ;  hence  the 
prices  paid,  as  has  been  the  case  in  so  many 
similar  instances,  were  by  no  means  commen- 
surate with  the  value  of  the  cattle.  The  high- 
est figure  was  $500,  given  by  T.  R.  Westrope  & 
Son,  of  Harlan,  la.,  for  a  Young  Abbottsburn 
bull  called  The  Corker.  The  old  hero  him- 
self, nine  years  old  and  with  little  prospect 
of  further  usefulness,  was  bought  by  Messrs. 
Wallace  of  Bunceton,  Mo.,  at  $475.  The  hand- 
some Linwood  Golden  Drop  7th  went  to  West- 
ropes  at  $355.  Cupbearer's  daughter  Gwendo- 
line 2d,  one  of  the  best  Scotch  cows  of  that 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.         789 

time  in  America,  topped  the  females  at  $400, 
at  which  price  she  went  to  Messrs.  Mitchel, 
Danvers,  111.,  who  also  took  the  aging  Princess 
Alice  at  $300.  The  old  Field  Marshal  cow's 
roan  heifer  Alice  of  Forest  Grove,  sired  at  Lin- 
wood  by  Galahad,  was  allowed  to  go  to  Texas 
at  $220.  Sixty-nine  head  sold  for  the  shocking 
average  of  but  $131.60,  a  fact  which  furnished 
ample  proof  of  the  wretched  state  of  the  Short- 
horn trade  at  that  time;  reflecting  the  wide- 
spread commercial  and  industrial  depression. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  those  who  had  the 
courage  to  buy  profited  largely  by  their  invest- 
ments at  this  sale.  There  is  a  moral  to  be 
drawn  from  this  and  similar  events  recorded  in 
this  volume.  It  is  this  :  Cattle-breeding,  like 
all  other  avocations,  has  its  ups  and  downs,  its 
bright  periods  of  prosperity  and  its  dark  days 
of  adversity ;  but  those  who  are  so  situated 
that  they  can  take  advantage  of  nominal  prices 
whenever  they  prevail  never  fail  to  reap  a  rich 
reward,  and  usually  within  a  very  short  space 
of  time. 

Woodburn  dispersion. — In  1891  Mr.  A.  J. 
Alexander,  who  had  succeeded  to  the  ownership 
and  management  of  his  brother's  magnificent 
estate  at  Woodburn,  deemed  it  advisable  to  con- 
clude the  Short-horn  breeding  operations  that 
had  been  for  some  forty  years  carried  on  upon 
the  farm  with  such  signal  advantage  to  Ameri- 


790        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

can  cattle-breeding  interests.  The  Woodburn 
management  had  been  giving  rather  more  at- 
tention to  horse-breeding  than  to  Short-horns 
for  some  time  proceeding  the  closing-out  sale, 
and  the  persistent  pursuit  of  a  policy  of  line 
breeding  within  the  Bates  tribes  had  not  re- 
sulted in  improving  the  individual  quality  of 
the  cattle.  The  faithful  and  efficient  herds- 
man, Mr.  Richardson,  nevertheless  succeeded 
in  producing  some  beautiful  specimens  of  the 
breed.  Perhaps  the  best  of  all  the  later  home- 
bred Duchess  bulls  placed  in  service  was  the 
26th  Duke  of  Airdrie  34973,  a  roan  of  good 
substance  and  fine  character.  During  the  years 
immediately  preceding  the  dispersion  sale  there 
had  been  used  the  imported  bulls  2d  Duke  of 
Whittlebury  62574  and  Oxford  Duke  of  Calth- 
waite  3d  (56261),  the  latter  a  roan  of  good 
flesh  and  substance  that  left  some  excellent 
stock.  There  had  also  been  used  the  red-roan 
51st  Duke  of  Oxford  38531,  a  son  of  the  famous 
Bow  Park  bull  4th  Duke  of  Clarence.  In  com- 
mon with  all  other  admirers  of  the  Bates  tribes 
of  that  time  in  the  West  the  Woodburn  man- 
agement had  a  very  high  appreciation  of  the 
4th  Duke  of  Clarence  blood  and  a  second  cross 
of  it  was  introduced  into  the  herd  through  the 
medium  of  Oxford  Grand  Duke  2d  88329,  sired 
by  imp.  2d  Duke  of  Whittlebury  out  of  the  fine 
4th  Duke  cow  Grand  Duchess  of  Oxford  52d. 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF   THE    CENTURY.         791 

The  dispersion  occurred  at  Dexter  Park,  Chi- 
cago Union  Stock- Yards,  June  11,  1891;  twenty- 
six  head  of  Airdrie  Dukes  and  Duchesses  sell- 
ing for  $10,920— an  average  of  $420  each.  The 
cattle  were  widely  scattered;  the  leading  buy- 
ers of  Duchesses  being  Messrs.  Brown  and  Smith 
of  Sangamon  Co.,  111.  The  top  price  was  $820, 
paid  by  D.  A.  Curtis,  Addison,  Mich.,  for  50th 
Duke  of  Airdrie.  The  highest  price  for  a  Duch- 
ess female  was  $780,  given  by  Messrs.  L.  W. 
Brown  &  Son.  Five  Oxfords  sold  for  an  aver- 
age of  $356.  The  stock  bull  Oxford  Grand  Duke 
2d  was  bought  by  Coles  &  Hatch,  Spring  Grove, 
111.,  at  $500.  Imp.  Oxford  Duke  of  Calthwaite 
3d  went  to  Elbert  &  Fall,  Albia,  la.,  at  $450. 
Thirteen  head  of  Thorndale  Roses,  descended 
from  the  importation  of  1882,  sold  for  an  aver- 
age of  $193.  Nine  Wild  Eyes  went  for  an  aver- 
age of  $162.20.  Eighteen  Barringtons  were 
closed  out  at  an  average  of  $141.65.  The  entire 
lot,  consisting  of  seventy-one  head,  fetched 
$18,220 — a  general  average  of  $256. 

Columbian  Exposition  awards. — The  exhibit 
of  Short-horns  at  the  Chicago  World's  Fair  of 
1893  was  beyond  question  the  best  and  larg- 
est of  which  there  is  record  in  the  history  of 
American  show-yard.  The  trying  task  of 
awarding  prizes  was  assigned  to  Hon.  J.  H. 
Pickrell,  H.  C.  Duncan  and  John  T.  Gibson,  and 
in  view  of  the  permanent  interest  that  must 


792        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

attach  to  this  record-breaking  competition  the 
prize  list  is  herewith  appended: 

Aged  bulls— First  to  Col.  T.  S.  Moberley's  Young  Abbotts- 
burn  110679 ;  second  to  J.  G.  Robbins  &  Sons'  Gay  Monarch  92411 ; 
third  to  Col.  T.  S.  Moberley's  Nonpareil  Chief  113034 ;  fourth  to 
H.  P.  Brown's  Earl  Fame  8th  107695;  fifth  to  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son's 
Thistlewood  95417;  sixth  to  H.  F.  Brown's  Golden  Rule  98268.* 

Two-year-old  bulls— First  to  L.  W.  Brown  &  Sons'  Young 
Marshal  110705 ;  second  to  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son's  Chancellor  106791 ; 
third  to  W.  C.  Edwards'  imp.  Knight  of  St.  John ;  fourth  to  H.  F. 
Brown's  Imperial  Prince  108359;  fifth  to  B.  O.  Cowan's  Lord 
Waterloo  112746;  sixth  to  W.  G.  Sanders'  Elgin  Chief. 

Yearling  bulls— First  to  J.  &  W.  Russell's  white  Lord  Stan- 
ley ;  second  to  H.  F.  Brown's  Fifer  111994 ;  third  and  fourth  to 
Messrs.  Nicholson's  Valasco  21st  and  Norseman;  fifth  to  J.  H. 
Potts  &  Son's  Lavender  King  4th;  sixth  to  Green  Bros.'  Royal 
Consul  2d. 

Bull  calves -First  to  H.  F.  Brown's  Victor  of  Browndale 
117621 ;  second  to  W.  B.  Cockburn's  Indian  Warrior ;  third  to  B. 
O.  Cowan's  Plato;  fourth  to  L.  W.  Brown  &  Son's  Golddust; 
fifth  to  H.  F.  Brown's  Lord  Wild  Eyes;  sixth  to  Messrs.  Russell's 
Prince  of  Kinellar. 

Aged  cows— First  to  J.  G.  Robbins  &  Sons'  Gay  Mary ;  second 
to  H.  F.  Brown's  Elvira  of  Browndale  3d;  third  to  H.  F.  Brown's 
Victoria  of  Glen  wood  8th ;  fourth  to  Col.  T.  S.  Moberley's  Forest 
Belle  15th;  fifth  to  Potts  &  Son's  Emma  llth;  sixth  to  O.  W. 
Fisher's  Lovely  Pride. 

Two-year-old  heifers— First  to  Col.  T.  S.  Moberley's  Gem  of 
Hickory  Park  3d;  second  to  Messrs.  Russell's  Centennial  Isabella 
25th ;  third  to  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son's  Surprise  of  Oakland  3d ;  fourth 
to  J.  G.  Robbins  &  Sons'  Nora  Davis;  fifth  to  H.  F.  Brown's  Red 


*  Golden  Rule  was  a  red  of  superb  handling  quality,  bred  by  the  late 
Robert  Miller  of  West  Liberty,  la.,  from  imp.  Goldstick  88748  and  Gol- 
den Feather.  He  was  dropped  the  property  of  C.  B.  Dustin,  Summer  Hill , 
111.,  and  after  doing  service  in  the  Dustin  herd  for  several  seasons  was  sold 
to  Mr.  H.  F.  Brown  of  Browndale  Farm,  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  whose  show 
herds  under  the  capable  training  of  Robert  Ewart  for  many  years  consti  - 
tuted  a  leading  feature  of  the  Short-horn  exhibits  on  the  Western  circuii. 
Few  herds  have  a  longer  list  of  first  and  championship  prizes  to  their 
credit  than  Browndale,  and  as  appears  from  this  list  of  Columbian  awards, 
Mr.  Brown  received  some  of  the  highest  honors  at  the  greatest  Short-horn 
show  this  country  has  ever  seen. 


CLOSING   EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         793 

Empress;  sixth  to  H.  F.  Brown's  Oxford  Duchess  of  Brown- 
dale  2d. 

Yearling  heifers— First  to  B.  O.  Cowan's  Dora  6th ;  second  to 
H.  F.  Brown's  Spicey  of  Browndale  2d;  third  to  J.  H.  Potts  & 
Son's  Surprise  of  Oakland  4th ;  fourth  to  T.  W.  Hunt's  Beautiful 
Belle ;  fifth  to  Messrs.  Nicholson's  21st  Maid  of  Sylvan ;  sixth  to 
B.  O.  Cowan's  Phyllisia  25th. 

Heifer  calves— First  to  Messrs.  Russell's  Centennial  Isabella 
30th ;  second  to  W.  C.  Edward's  Lady  Fame ;  third  to  J.  G.  Rob- 
bins  &  Sons'  Nancy  Hanks ;  fourth  to  H.  F.  Brown's  Rosemary 
of  Browndale ;  fifth  to  J.  D.  Varner's  Claribelle ;  sixth  to  Messrs. 
Russell's  Ruby  Princess. 

Championships— Bull  of  any  age,  Moberley's  Young  Abbotts- 
burn.  Cow  of  any  age,  Robbins'  Gay  Mary. 

Herd— First  to  H.  F.  Brown ;  second  to  T.  S.  Moberley ;  third 
to  Robbins  &  Sons ;  fourth  to  Potts  &  Son ;  fifth  to  T.  S.  Mober- 
ley; sixth  to  H.  F.  Brown. 

Young  herds— First  to  Messrs.  Russell;  second  to  Z.  J.  Cow- 
an ;  third  to  H.  F.  Brown ;  fourth  to  Potts  &  Sons ;  fifth  to  Messrs. 
Nicholson ;  sixth  to  Moberley. 

Four  animals,  either  sex,  under  four  years  old,  the  get  of  one 
sire— First  to  Messrs.  Russell  on  progeny  of  Cruickshank  bull 
Stanley ;  second  to  Potts  &  Son  on  progeny  of  imp.  King  of  Aber- 
deen; third  to  Col.  T.  S.  Moberley  on  heifers  sired  by  the  Bates- 
bred  Thorndale  Rose  Duke  95425 ;  fourth  to  Messrs.  Robbins  on 
get  of  Gay  Monarch ;  fifth  to  Messrs.  Nicholson  on  get  of  Nonpa- 
reil Chief ;  sixth  to  Green  Bros,  on  get  of  Royal  Briton. 

Two  animals,  either  sex,  the  produce  of  one  cow — First  to  H. 
F.  Brown's  Elviras  of  Browndale  3d  and  4th ;  second  to  Messrs. 
Potts'  Surprises  of  Oakland  3d  and  4th ;  third  to  Messrs.  Russell's 
Prince  Royal  and  cow  Queen  Mary ;  fourth  to  Messrs.  Robbins' 
Nora  Davis  and  Nancy  Hanks ;  fifth  to  T.  W.  Hunt's  Beautiful 
Belle  and  Silver  Flower ;  sixth  to  T.  S.  Moberley  on  progeny  of 
Forest  Belle  6th. 

A  series  of  championship  competitions,  open  to  all  beef  breeds, 
was  arranged  by  the  management,  and  in  this  the  reputation  of 
the  Short-horn  was  well  sustained  against  all  comers.  Prizes 
were  awarded  by  a  committee  consisting  of  J.  G.  Imboden,  De- 
catur,  111.,  William  Stocking,  Rochelle,  111.,  and  J.  C.  Snell  of  Can- 
ada. In  the  herd  competition  Messrs.  J.  G.  Robbins  &  Sons  carried 
first  prize  with  the  Marr-bred  Alexandrina  bull  Gay  Monarch, 
the  cow  Gay  Mary,  two-year-old  Nora  Davis,  the  yearling  heifer 
Lady  Verbena  and  heifer  calf  Nancy  Hanks.  The  second  and 


794         A   HISTORY    OF  SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

third  prizes  in  this  competition  were  won  by  Herefords,  and  the 
fourth  and  fifth  by  Short-horns  owned  respectively  by  Messrs. 
Moberley  and  Brown.  The  young  herd  prize  was  also  won  by 
Short-horns,  consisting  of  the  Canadian  lot  shown  by  Messrs. 
Russell,  headed  by  the  white  yearling  Lord  Stanley.  Col.  Mober- 
ley's  Young  Abbottsburn  was  adjudged  best  aged  bull  of  any 
breed  on  exposition,  with  Mr.  Clough's  Hereford  Ancient  Briton 
second  and  Robbins'  Gay  Monarch*  third.  Russell's  yearling  Lord 
Stanley  carried  the  yearling  bull  championship,  and  in  bull  calves 
Mr.  Cockburn,  also  of  Canada,  won  with  Indian  Warrior,  sired  by 
Arthur  Johnston's  imp.  Sittyton  Victoria  bull  Indian  Chief.  The 
heifer  calf  championship  was  won  by  Mr.  Russell  of  Canada,  with 
Centennial  Isabella  30th. 

The  $1,000  special  championship  prize  for  best  ten  head  of  cat- 
tle of  any  breed  bred  by  the  exhibitor  was  awarded  to  Mr.  H.  F. 
Brown  by  a  committee  consisting  of  Wallace  Estill,  Richard  Gib- 
son and  H.  H.  Clough.  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son  received  second  in  this 
competition,  Mr.  Van  Natta  third  with  Herefords  and  Messrs. 
Moberley  and  Robbins  fourth  and  fifth  with  Short-horns. 

Recent  importations.— The  close  of  the  cen- 
tury finds  the  Scotch  blood  the  prevailing 
fashionable  element  on  both  sides  of  the  water. 
Sires  of  North-country  breeding  are  in  ser- 
vice in  most  of  the  leading  collections  of  the 
breed  in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  Eng- 
lish sentiment  is  still  somewhat  divided  upon 
the  subject  of  the  Scotch  cross,  but  under  the 
leadership  of  Messrs.  Deane  Willis — whose  win- 
nings at  the  great  English  shows  of  recent 
years  with  stock  of  Aberdeenshire  descent  have 

*  Gay  Monarch  was  a  roan,  sired  by  William  of  Orange  out  of  an  Atha- 
basca dam,  and  was  for  several  seasons  one  of  the  star  attractions  of  the 
Short-horn  exhibit  at  Western  shows.  He  not  only  carried  many  first  and 
championship  prizes,  but  in  the  Bobbins  herd  sired  show  cattle  of  out- 
standing1 merit.  He  was  a  smooth,  deep-fleshed  bull,  possessing  more 
character  than  Young  Abbottsburn,  and  must  be  ranked  with  the  Duke  of 
Richmond  and  Baron  Victor  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  breeding  animals 
of  the  Scotch  type  ever  used  in  the  West.  He  died  the  property  of  Messrs. 
Robbins  in  1899. 


CHAMPION  SHOW  BULL  ST.   VALENTINE  121014. 

Bred  by  Guardhouse  <fe  Son,  of  Canada.     Shown  by  J.  G.  Bobbins  & 

Sons,  Horace,  Ind.,  and  by  Geo.  E.  Ward,  Hawarden,  /a. 


IMP.  BARON  CRUICKSHANK  106297. 

Bred  by  Wm.  Duthie,  Collynie,  and  imported  by  C.  B.  J)ustin  &  Son, 

Summer  Hill,  III. 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF    THE    CENTURY.         795 

attracted  universal  attention— and  P.  L.  Mills 
the  North-country  blood  has  now  strong  foot- 
ing south  of  the  River  Tweed. 

For  several  years  after  the  conclusion  of  Mr. 
Luther  Adams'  importing  operations  trade  con- 
ditions in  America  were  such  as  did  not  afford 
much  encouragement  for  the  purchase  of  Short- 
horns in  Great  Britain  for  shipment  to  America, 
but  the  renewed  interest  manifested  in  cattle 
breeding  during  the  past  few  years  has  led  to 
a  revival  of  importations.  Without  under- 
taking to  supply  details  as  to  these  contem- 
porary business  transactions,  attention  may  be 
called  to  the  importation  in  1891,  personally 
selected  in  Scotland  by  Mr.  C.  B.  Dustin  for  ac- 
count of  himself  and  Mr.  J.  F.  Prather.  This 
importation  was  chiefly  notable  as  including 
the  splendid  sire  Baron  Cruickshank  106297, 
bred  by  Mr.  Duthie  from  Collingwood  106881, 
and  the  Mysie  cow  Maria  10th,  by  Field  Marshal. 
This  bull  was  used  jointly  for  a  time  by  Messrs. 
Dustin  and  Prather,  but  latterly  was  the  sole 
property  of  the  proprietor  of  Hill  Farm.  He 
was  a  richly-fleshed,  robust  roan,  and  left  much 
good  stock.  Mr.  Prather' s  imp.  Duke  of  Hamil- 
ton 2d  107363,  of  this  same  importation  and 
also  of  Mr.  Duthie's  breeding,  a  mellow-hand- 
ling red,  also  left  a  valuable  progeny  at  Village 
Park.  Mr.  Dustin  has  recently  added  to  the 
wealth  of  Western  Short-horn  herds  by  the 


796        A   HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

purchase  and  importation  of  the  capital  young 
bull  Merry  Hampton  132572,  a  winner  as  a 
yearling  at  the  Highland  show  of  1898,  and 
bred  at  Collynie  from  the  Missie  cow  Mada- 
moiselle  6th  by  Field  Marshal.  This  bull  was 
landed  in  Illinois  at  a  cost  of  $2,000. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  of  recent  importa- 
tions was  that  personally  selected  in  Great 
Britain  by  Mr.  I.  M.  Forbes,  Henry,  111.,  in  the 
summer  of  1898.  It  included  about  a  dozen 
females  from  the  herds  of  Messrs.  Duthie,  Marr 
and  their  contemporaries,  representing  the 
Missie,  Princess  Royal  and  other  standard  Aber- 
deenshire  tribes.  Along  with  this  importation 
came  the  bulls  Star  of  the  North  132076  and 
Fairhaven  131977.  The  former,  of  the  Sittyton 
Clipper  family,  was  bought  from  the  herd  of 
Her  Majesty  the  Queen  of  England.  Fairhaven 
was  sold  at  the  Forbes  sale  of  Oct.  11,  1899, 
to  Benjamin  Whitsitt,  Pre-Einption,  111.,  for 
$1,000.* 

*  At  this  same  sale  Mr.  J.  P.  Prather,  Willlamsville,  111.,  took  the  hand- 
some home-bred  cow  Golden  Venus  at  $850  and  the  imp.  heifer  Rosemary 
201st  at  $825.  John  M.  Blotz,  Dodgeville,  Wis.,  bought  imp.  Gwendoline  at 
$801.  The  thirty-nine  females  offered  averaged  $295.50,  the  genei-al  average 
on  fifty  head  being  $298.  This  sale  was  held  to  close  a  partnership  that 
had  existed  for  some  time  between  Messrs.  I.  M.  and  Caleb  Forbes  under 
the  name  of  Forbes  Bros.,  the  dissolution  being  rendered  necessary  by  the 
death  of  Mr.  Caleb  Forbes.  The  partnership  herd  had  been  successfully 
maintained  at  a  high  standard  of  individual  excellence.  The  stock  bull 
Baron  Gloster  101657,  that  was  in  service  for  a  number  of  years,  was  one 
of  the  thickest-fleshed  Cruickshank  bulls  of  his  time  in  the  United 
States,  an  animal  of  compact  conformation,  rare  quality  and  a  most  im- 
pressive sire  of  short-legged,  easy-keeping  stock.  Mr.  I.  M.  Forbes,  who 
had  at  all  times  been  the  moving  spirit  in  the  management,  continued 


CLOSING    EVENTS   OF   THE   CENTURY.         797 

Importations1  from  Scotland  have  also  been 
made  in  recent  years  by  Messrs.  Miller,  Cargill, 
Flatt*  and  others  of  Canada,  and  by  Messrs. 
Gerlaugh,  Harding,  Hanna,  Wood,  Bobbins 
and  other  prominent  present-day  breeders  of 
the  States.  Prices  are  rising  again  at  home 
and  abroad.  Five  thousand  dollars  has  been 
refused  for  the  Highland  Society's  prize  bull 
of  1899,  Cornerstone,  and  even  this  figure  seems 
likely  to  be  exceeded  in  the  near  future. 

One  of  the  notable  show-yard  triumphs  of  re- 
cent years  was  the  exhibition  by  Messrs.  Rob- 
bins  of  the  Canadian-bred  bull  St.  Valentine 
121014,  descending  from  the  imported  Booth- 
topped  cow  Verbena,  bred  by  John  Outhwaite. 
He  was  the  champion  bull  of  the  West  in  1897 
and  was  sold  along  with  some  valuable  fe- 
males to  George  E.  Ward,  Ha  warden,  la.  In 
1898  St.  Valentine  was  champion  at  the  Illinois 
State  Fair  and  headed  Mr.  Ward's  first-prize 
herd  at  same  show,  which  included  Monarch's 

Short-horn  breeding  with  a  capital  selection  of  Scotch  and  Scotch-topped 
cows  and  heifers,  including  a  majority  of  those  comprising  the  importa- 
tion of  1898 ;  Star  of  the  North  being  the  chief  stock  bull  in  service. 

Benjamin  Whitsitt's  father  was  one  of  the  pioneer  Short-horn  breeders 
of  Western  Illinois,  and  the  son  has  been  at  all  times  an  efficient  and  per- 
sistent advocate  of  the  use  of  pure-bred  bulls  for  the  production  of  high- 
class  steers.  He  feeds  largely  for  the  Chicago  market,  has  had  in  service 
in  his  pure-bred  herd  a  succession  of  good  Scotch  sires,  and  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  most  successful  stockmen  of  his  district. 

*  At  an  auction  sale  held  by  Mr.  W.  D.  Platt  at  Hamilton,  Ont.,  Dec.  20, 
1899,  at  which  Col.  Fred  M.  Woods  of  Lincoln,  Neb.,  presided  as  auc- 
tioneer, about  forty  head  of  imported  Scotch-bred  heifers  and  young  bulls 
were  sold  for  an  average  of  $477.30,  the  top  price  being  $900,  paid  by  P.  S. 
Lewis  &  Son,  Point  Pleasant,  W.  Va.,  for  the  roan  bull  calf  Sir  Wilfred 
Laurier,  by  the  Royal  champion  Marengo. 


798        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Lady,   by   Gray  Monarch,   and   St.  Valentine's 
daughters  Selma  and  Lady  Valentine.* 

Herd-book  consolidation. — One  of  the  most 
important  events  of  the  period  under  review 
was  the  purchase  in  the  autumn  of  1882  by  the 
American  Short-horn  Breeders'  Association  of 
the  herd  book,  which  had  up  to  that  date  been 
issued  as  a  private  enterprise  by  Lewis  F.  Allen, 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.  The  price  paid  was  $25,000. 
More  or  less  confusion  in  reference  to  Ameri- 
can records  had  arisen  from  the  fact  that  a 
pedigree  register,  known  as  the  American  Short- 
horn Record,  had  been  established  and  pub- 
lished for  some  years  in  Kentucky,  and  that  a 
similar  book,  known  as  the  Ohio  Short-horn 
Record,  was  being  issued  by  the  breeders  of  the 
Buckeye  State.  Both  of  these  registers  were 
the  manifestation  6f  disapproval  of  the  manner 
in  which  Mr.  Allen  was  conducting  the  herd 
book  which  he  had  established  in  1846.  The 
purchase  and  consolidation  of  these  various 
records  by  the  National  Breeders'  Association 
was  the  happy  solution  of  a  situation  that  was 

*At  the  Trans-Mississippi  Exposition  at  Omaha  same  year  Mr.  H.  F. 
Brown  defeated  St.  Valentine — after  a  contest  developing  some  bitterness 
— with  the  Canadian-bred  Nominee  131262,  a  roan  lacking  the  wealth  of 
flesh  shown  by  St.  Valentine,  but  big,  level  and  presented  in  fine  bloom. 
In  1899  the  Short-honTherd  prize  at  the  Illinois  State  Fair  was  won  by  Mr. 
T.  J.  Wornall,  Mosby,  Mo.,  with  Viscount  of  Anoka  125081,  bred  by  Messrs- 
Harding  of  Waukesha,  Wis. ;  among  the  females  shown  being  Sultana  (by 
Gay  Monarch)  and  Lady  Valentine,  seen  in  Mr.  Ward's  herd  of  1898.  Two 
thick-fleshed,  sappy  heifer  calves  by  St.  Valentine  were  successfully 
shown  by  Messrs.  Bobbins  at  the  fall  fairs  of  1899,  one  of  which,  Ruberla, 
a  Sittyton  Duchess  of  Gloster,  was  champion  calf  of  the  circuit. 


«   N 
5-  H 

«  0 

Is 


IS 

.IS 


CLOSING    EVENTS    OF   THE    CENTURY.         799 

becoming  fairly  intolerable,  and  since  1883  but 
one  book  has  been  in  existence.  Hon.  J.  H. 
Pickrell  was  one  of  the  prime  movers  in  this 
project,  and  the  first  volume  (XXIV)  issued  by 
the  National  Association  appeared  under  the 
auspices  of  the  following  board  of  officers: 
President,  J.  H.  Pickrell;  Vice-President,  B.  F. 
Vanmeter;  Treasurer,  T.  W.  Harvey;  Secretary, 
L.  P.  Muir;  Directors,  C.  C.  Nourse  of  Iowa,  S.  F. 
Lockridge  of  Indiana,  C.  A.  DeGraff  of  Minne- 
sota, W.  A.  Harris  of  Kansas,  A.  M.  Bowman  of 
Virginia,  Emory  Cobb  of  Illinois,  C.  E.  Leonard 
of  Missouri,  L.  B.  Wing  of  Ohio,  and  John  Hope 
of  Canada. 

The  office  was  first  established  in  the  city  of 
Chicago,  but  was  subsequently  removed  to 
Springfield,  111. ,  where  it  remained  until  after  the 
construction  of  the  Pedigree  Record  Building  by 
the  Union  Stock  Yard  Company  of  Chicago,  when 
it  was  brought  back  to  the  Western  metropolis. 
After  Mr.  Pickrell  gave  up  cattle  breeding  he 
was  chosen  Secretary  and  Editor  of  the  Herd  Book 
to  succeed  Col.  Muir,  retaining  the  office  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1901.  Mr.  John  W. 
Groves  is  the  present  incumbent.* 


*  Canadian  breeders  organized  the  Dominion  Short-horn  Breeders'  As- 
sociation some  years  ago,  and  under  the  Presidency  of  the  Hon.  John 
Dryden  began  in  1886  the  publication  of  the  Dominion  Herd  Book,  of  which 
Mr.  Henry  Wade  of  Toronto  is  still  Secretary  and  editor. 

In  Great  Britain  the  National  pedigree  register  for  the  breed  is  still 
published  under  the  original  name,  "  Coates'  Herd  Book,"  although  it  has 
for  some  years  been  owned  and  issued  by  the  Short-horn  Society  of  the 
United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  with  offices  at  12  Hanover 
Square,  London. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 


A  DUAL-PURPOSE  BREED. 

Since  the  days  when  the  Renicks  drove  their 
first  well-bred  bullocks  from  the  Ohio  Valley 
over  the  mountains  to  the  seaboard  markets 
the  Short-horn  has  been  a  familiar  figure  in  the 
pastures,  feed-lots,  dairies  and  stock-yards  of 
the  United  States.  When  the  mighty  agricul- 
tural empire  of  the  Upper  Mississippi  Valley 
came  under  the  sway  of  the  early  settlers  the 
Short-horn  was  called  to  fill  a  place  that  he 
seems  destined  to  occupy  for  generations  yet 
to  come.  Throughout  this  broad  realm  of  blue 
grass  and  Indian  corn  the  roan  badge  of  Short- 
horn birth  has  ever  been  a  passport  into  the 
favor  of  thoughtful  farmers.  In  the  develop- 
ment of  the  great  ranges  of  the  farther  West 
the  Short-horn  bull  was  a  pioneer  in  that  won- 
derful improvement  that  has  at  last  driven  the 
Texas  Long-horn  from  the  plains  and  moun- 
tains. On  Australian  "stations"  and  on  the 
estancias  of  Argentine  the  Short-horn  bull  has 
led  the  line  of  progress  toward  greater  weights 
and  neater  carcasses.  Others  have  since  ap- 
peared upon  the  scene  to  share  with  him  the 

(800) 


WILD  QUEEN  2o— Winner  of  first  milking  prize, 
"London  Dairy  Show,  1898. 


WHISKERS— Champion  American  Fat  Stock  Show,  1894. 


A  DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED.  801 

honor  of  the  conquest  over  the  "scrub'/  crea- 
tion, as  revealed  by  existing  conditions  in  the 
West,  but  the  credit  for  the  long  years  of  sap- 
ping and  mining  that  made  present  successes 
possible  must  be  laid  at  the  feet  of  the  Short- 
horn bull.  Indeed,  the  story  of  the  world-wide 
wanderings  of  this  bovine  Ulysses  supplies  the 
theme  for  an  agricultural  Odyssey. 

Universal  adaptability. — The  lapse  of  years 
only  serves  to  strengthen  the  position  of  the 
Short-horn.  A  century  of  close  contact  with 
the  most  exacting  requirements  of  the  farm 
and  feed-lot  has  only  deepened  the  hold  of  the 
"red,  white  and  roans"  upon  the  affections  of 
the  agricultural  world.  The  source  of  this 
perennial  popularity  must  be  apparent  even  to 
the  most  casual  observer.  The  strength  of  the 
Short-horn  lies  in  its  unrivaled  range  of  adapt- 
ability; in  the  facility  with  which  it  responds 
to  the  varied  demands  of  those  who  pursue  a 
system  of  diversified  farming — the  rearing  of 
live  stock  as  an  essential  feature  in  a  well- 
ordered  scheme  of  mixed  husbandry.  "The 
Short-horn  is  distinctively  and  emphatically  a 
dual-purpose  breed.  The  bull  calves  can  be 
turned  into  market-topping  steers,  and  under 
proper  management  the  heifers  develop  marked 
value  for  the  dairy.  The  pure-bred  Short-horn 
bull  as  a  first  cross  upon  common  or  native 
cows — especially  if  they  be  wanting  in  size — is 


802        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

a  certain  source  of  immediate  improvement; 
imparting  scale,  shapeliness  and  quality  to  his 
progeny.  The  Short-horn  grade  heifer  is  the 
foundation  upon  which  bulls  of  other  improved 
breeds  have  builded  some  of  their  most  signal 
successes.  In  a  lean  or  " store"  condition  the 
Short-horn  is  still  attractive  by  reason  of  his 
level  lines  and  general  symmetry. 

Feed-lot  favorites. — Cattle-feeding  as  a  lead- 
ing industry  in  connection  with  American  farm- 
ing had  its  origin  in  Short-horn  blood  one  hun- 
dred years  ago  in  the  valley  of  the  south  branch 
of  the  Potomac  River  in  Virginia.  Crossing  the 
Blue  Ridge  it  became  a  source  of  wealth  to  the 
Ohio  Valley  States,  and  the  grazing  and  feed- 
ing of  Short-horn  steers  has  followed  as  a  mat- 
ter of  course  the  establishment  of  pure-bred 
herds  throughout  the  newer  West.  In  the  fore- 
going pages  we  have  endeavored  to  afford  a 
general  view  of  the  character  and  breeding  of 
the  pedigreed  stock  from  whence  farmers  of 
the  corn-belt  and  contiguous  territory  have 
drawn  their  supplies  of  Short-horn  blood;  but 
space  will  not  admit  of  extending  our  inquiry 
to  the  gates  of  the  myriad  farms  upon  which 
this  blood  has  been  utilized  as  a  machine  for 
the  profitable  conversion  of  grain  and  grass 
into  beef  and  milk. 

While  the  leading  breeders  were  engaged  in 
exhibiting,  importing  and  selling  high-class 


A  DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED.  803 

registered  cattle,  as  detailed  in  preceding  chap- 
ters, shifting  their  allegiance  from  time  to 
time  from  one  strain  of  blood  to  another,  the 
farmers  of  Great  Britain,  Canada  and  the 
States  were  all  the  while  taking  the  surplus 
bulls  and  grading  up  the  common  cattle  of 
their  respective  countries.  They  found  that 
each  crop  of  calves  from  a  good  bull  was  worth 
enough  more  than  a  crop  from  a  "  scrub  "  or  a 
grade  sire  to  more  than  pay  the  difference  in 
the  first  cost  of  the  bull.  Feeders  stood  ready 
to  take  the  steers  as  fast  as  they  approached 
maturity,  and  such  farmers  as  had  the  fore- 
sight to  use  the  pure-bred  bulls  soon  obtained 
a  reputation  for  the  quality  of  their  cattle  that 
insured  them  a  handsome  premium  for  their 
surplus  stock.  In  this  way  the  producers  and 
consumers  of  beef  profited  enormously  by  the 
enterprise  of  those  who  spent  their  money  so 
lavishly  in  the  importation,  breeding  and  ex- 
hibition of  choice  specimens  of  the  breed,  as 
noted  in  preceding  pages. 

"Prime  Scots." — Perhaps  the  most  notable 
illustration  of  the  value  of  the  blood  for  prac- 
tical feeding  purposes  developed  by  the  history 
of  the  breed  in  Britain  is  afforded  by  the  evo- 
lution of  the  so-called  "prime  Scots"  of  the 
English  market.  This  particular  brand  of  high- 
priced  beef  represents  the  commingling  of  the 
blood  of  the  Short-horn  with  that  of  the  black 


804        A    HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

polled  races  of  Scotland.  The  North-of -Scot- 
land farmers  were  free  buyers  of  Short-horn 
bulls  from  such  herds  as  those  of  Ury,  Eden, 
Shethin  and  Sittyton.  Indeed  the  surprising 
statement  is  made  that  not  less  than  1,000  bulls 
of  their  own  breeding  were  sold  by  the  Messrs. 
Cruickshank  during  a  period  of  forty-seven 
years  for  crossing  purposes!  This  necessarily 
wrought  a  wonderful  improvement  in  the  char- 
acter of  the  farm  cattle  of  Aberdeenshire  and 
adjacent  counties,  and  Robert  Bruce  has  favored 
us  with  the  following  interesting  statement  as 
to  how  the  cattle-growers  of  those  districts  pro- 
ceeded with  the  work  of  producing  the  "prime 
Scot": 

Before  the  Short-horns  found  their  way  to  the  Northern 
counties  of  Scotland  the  cattle  there  were  nearly  all  black,  a  large 
proportion  of  them  heing  polled.  Between  1830  and  1840  Short- 
horns began  to  be  freely  used  by  the  ordinary  farmers  with  the 
result  that  there  was  improvement  in  the  size  over  the  native 
stock.  Along  with  increased  size  the  cross-bred  animals  had  the 
valuable  quality  of  maturing  early  in  comparison  with  others. 
The  results  of  using  a  Short-horn  bull  with  the  native  cows  were 
so  satisfactory  that  for  a  considerable  time  this  system  of  crossing 
was  considered  the  only  safe  and  proper  one.  I  can  remember 
well  the  effects  of  this  belief  all  over  the  North  of  Scotland  where 
the  farmers  had  gone  on  using  Short-horn  bulls  on  three,  four,  and 
five  generations  of  cows,  grades  from  the  original  native  polled 
cows,  till  the  large  proportion  of  the  stock  in  farmers'  hands  were 
fairly  passable  Short-horns.  At  the  time  I  refer  to,  from  1850  to 
1860, 1  do  not  believe  you  could  have  found  two  Aberdeen- Angus 
bulls  serving  in  herds  other  than  those  that  were  pure-bred,  and 
so  few  pure-bred  herds  were  there  that  it  became  impossible  for 
the  ordinary  farmers  to  get  polled  heifers  to  follow  out  what  they 
called  the  right  system  of  crossing. 

I  may  whisper  in  your  "lug"  that  it  was  about  this  time  that 


A  DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED.  805 

the  Aberdeen- Angus  cattle  improved  so  much,  and  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  many  a  dash  of  Short-horn  blood  was  introduced  with 
much  advantage  to  the  black-skins.  This,  however,  is  away  from 
the  point.  The  great  scarcity  of  Aberdeen- Angus  heifers  drove 
the  farmers  to  use  the  Aberdeen-Angus  bulls  on  their  cross-bred 
Short-horn  grade  cows.  I  can  distinctly  remember  the  subject  of 
the  doings  of  a  farmer,  an  owner  of  a  herd  of  high-grade  (Short- 
horn) cows,  being  discussed  widely  with  much  headshaking  seeing 
he  had  ventured  to  use  a  polled  bull  in  his  herd.  His  experiment 
was  carefully  watched  and  before  fire  years  there  was  a  demand 
for  Aberdeen- Angus  bulls  for  use  in  farmers'  herds  of  cross-bred, 
in  fact,  Short-horn  grade  cows. 

For  the  past  thirty  years  the  following  may  be  said  to  be  the 
common  practice  in  the  North  of  Scotland.  As  I  have  said  the 
cows  in  the  hands  of  farmers  were  more  or  less  Short-horns. 
These  were  put  to  the  Aberdeen- Angus  bulls  and  the  heifers  kept 
as  cows  practically  first  crosses.  These  and  their  daughters  were 
again  put  to  Aberdeen- Angus  bulls,  when  Short-horn  bulls  were 
again  brought  in  for  several  generations,  and  so  on  alternating 
between  Short-horns  and  Aberdeen- Angus  sires  (always  pure-bred 
herd-book  animals),  the  farmers  possessing  herds  of  cows  the 
direct  female  descendants  of  cows  owned  by  their  grandfathers. 

I  do  not  know  as  I  need  say  anything  more  on  this  subject. 
The  blend  of  the  two  breeds  is  a  mixture  which  produces  a  class  of 
cattle  having  no  equal  as  a  rent-paying  stock  in  this  country ;  and 
speaking  from  my  own  observation  I  believe  it  matters  little  how 
the  mixture  is  concocted  so  long  as  it  is  Short-horn  and  Aberdeen- 
Angus,  the  judgment  of  the  breeder  being  brought  into  play  in 
determining  the  amount  of  either  of  the  two  factors.  It  must, 
nowever,  be  borne  in  mind  that  even  this  valuable  mixture  couli 
not  produce  the  Prime  Scots  which  the  London  West  End  butch- 
ers sell  at  such  high  prices  and  which  the  "  upper  ten  "  are  please  i 
to  pay  for  if  the  North  Country  farmers  ever  allowed  their  young  stock  ts 
lose  their  calf  flesh.  To  produce  the  high-selling  article  an  ox  ought 
to  be  fit  to  kill  any  time  during  his  life,  and  the  question  of  the 
proper  age  for  slaughter  entirely  depends  upon  markets  and  such 
like  circumstances.  Many  people  unacquainted  with  the  North- 
ern cattle  say  the  first  cross  is  the  only  right  one,  but  you  may  go 
from  farm  to  farm  in  the  North  of  Scotland  where,  as  I  have  said, 
nothing  but  cross-bred  cows  have  been  bred  in  the  family  for  gen- 
erations and  yet  the  farmers  pride  themselves  on  their  herds  of 
cows— cows  that  produce  steers  to  top  the  London  market. 


806         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Crosses  of  light-colored  Short-horns  and  the 
shaggy  black  Galloways  have  long  been  popular 
feeding  steers  in  Britain,  producing  a  "  blue- 
gray  "  beast  that  feeds  out  into  a  thick-cutting 
carcass  of  richly-marbled  beef.  Needless  to 
add  the  "  prime  Scots  "  sell  at  fancy  prices  at 
Smithfield  and  other  leading  English  markets, 
and  are  frequent  winners  at  the  British  Na- 
tional fat-cattle  shows. 

Smithfield  Club. — England  is  epicurean  in 
relation  to  its  meats.  John  Bull  lives  much  in 
the  open  air.  He  is  in  vigorous  physical  health. 
His  digestion  is  not  impaired.  He  is  the  world's 
best  custom  erf  or  rich,  well-ripened  £uts  of  beef. 
He  not  only  originated  all  of  the  improved 
breeds  of  beef  cattle,  but  more  than  a  century 
ago  provided  for  a  public  test  as  to  the  relative 
merits  of  the  rival  types. 

The  Smithfield  Club  of  London  was  insti- 
tuted as  "The  Smithfield  Cattle  and  Sheep  So- 
ciety," Dec.  17,  1798,  and  held  its  first  exhibi- 
tion at  Smithfield  the  following  year.  The  title 
"Smithfield  Club"  was  permanently  adopted  in 
1802.  The  club  started  with  113  members,  and 
at  the  initial  show  the  sum  of  £52  10s.  was  of- 
fered in  prizes.  In  1898  the  membership  had 
increased  to  1,120  with  prizes  amounting  to 
£4,965  lls.  Classes  are  now  made  for  Short- 
horns,  Herefords,  Aberdeen-Angus,  Galloways, 
Devons,  Sussex,  Red  Polls,  Welsh,  Highlanders, 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED. 


807 


cross-breds  and  small  cattle  not  otherwise  eli- 
gible. After  the  first  few  shows  the  exhibition 
was  discontinued  for  a  period  of  twenty  years, 
extending  from  1809  to  1829.  The  official  rec- 
ord of  awards  for  the  sixty-seven  years,  begin- 
ning with  the  show  of  1830,  reveals  the  fact 
that  thirty-five  championships  have  been  won 
by  pure-bred  Short-horn  steers,  and  that  seven 
other  champions  were  crosses  of  Short-horn 
blood  with  other  breeds.  Since  1845  medals 
have  been  given  for  the  best  fat  cow  or  heifer 
in  the  show,  and  during  the  fifty-two  years, 
ended  in  1897,  no  less  than  thirty-four  of  these 
championships  were  won  by  pure-bred  Short- 
horns.* Two  other  female  championships  have 

*  At  the  Smithfield  Club  show  of  December,  1876,  the  first  prize  of  £20 
and  a  silver  medal  to  the  breeder  in  a  class  of  nine  entries  for  best  fat  cow 
four  years  old  or  over,  was  awarded  to  the  Benick-bred  exp.  Duchess 
10th  (known  in  England  as  Bed  Boseof  Bannoch),  a  "  red-and- white  "  by  Joe 


Johnson  (31440)  out  ol  Duchess  4th  by  Airdrie  (30365).  She  was  exhibited 
upon  that  occasion  by  the  Earl  of  Dunmore  at  a  live  weight  of  1.998  Ibs.,  de- 
feating the  Towneley-bred  Baron  Oxford's  Duchess.  So  far  as  we  have 
record  this  is  the  only  case  of  an  American-bred  Short-horn  being  exhibited 
at  that  show.  The  late  Abram  Benick  naturally  prized  this  Smithfield 
medal  highly,  and  by  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Abram  Benick  the  younger  we 
are  permitted  to  present  a  reproduction  of  it  herewith. 


808        A   HISTORY   OF   SHOET-HORN   CATTLE. 

been  awarded  to  animals  carrying  a  Short-horn 
cross.  From  this  it  appears  that  the  breed  has 
easily  held  its  own  against  the  combined  oppo- 
sition of  all  rival  sorts. 

American  Fat- Stock  Show. — As  already  men- 
tioned the  establishment  of  the  American  Fat- 
Stock  Show  under  the  auspices  of  the  Illinois 
State  Board  of  Agriculture,  Chicago,  in  the 
autumn  of  1878,  marked  an  epoch  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  breed  in  the  United  States.  It  sub- 
stituted for  the  often  misleading  tests  of  the 
auction  ring  a  public  competition  based  solely 
on  demonstrated  merit  for  feeding  purposes;  in 
which  considerations  of  pedigree,  pride  of  birth 
and  ancestry  were  absolutely  eliminated.  It 
established  a  test,  the  results  of  which  were 
worked  out  by  the  cold  logic  of  the  scales  and 
the  judgment  of  butchers  and  feeders.  It 
forced  the  breeders  of  Short-horns  to  seek  a 
class  of  cattle  that  could  successfully  contend 
with  such  highly  specialized  beef  types  as  the 
Herefords,  Aberdeen- Angus  and  Galloways;  and 
the  manner  in  which  the  great  dual-purpose 
breed  responded  to  the  call  thus  made  upon  it 
affords  striking  demonstration  of  the  inherent 
capabilities  of  the  race.  In  these  day  of  "baby 
beef"  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  ages  and 
weights  of  the  steers  with  which  prizes  were 
won  at  the  initial  shows, 

John  D.  Gillett  of  Elkhart,   111.,  who  had 


JOHN  D.  GILLETT,  ELKHAKT,  ILL. 
Father  of  the  American  Export  Bullock  Trade. 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED.  809 

gained  international  fame  as  the  father  of  the 
trade  in  export  bullocks  to  Great  Britain,*  was 
from  the  beginning  an  enthusiastic  supporter 
of  the  show,  winning  the  first  championship  in 
1878  with  the  Short-horn  steer  John  Sherman, 
about  three  years  and  seven  months  old,  weigh- 
ing 2,195  Ibs.  Van  Meter  and  Hamiltons  of  Ken- 
tucky exhibited  bullocks  mainly  of  the  Young 

*  John  Dean  Gillett  (descended  from  a  French  Huguenot  family  which 
emigrated  to  this  country  in  1631  and  settled  at  Lebanon,  Conn.)  was  born 
April  28,  1819,  at  Fair  Haven,  Conn.  He  attended  the  Lancastrean  School 
in  New  Haven,  and  at  the  age  of  17  he  went  by  sea  to  Georgia  to  visit  an 
uncle  and  acted  for  two  years  as  a  clerk  in  his  uncle's  store.  In  1838  he 
returned  to  Connecticut,  where  for  three  months  he  attended  Pearl's 
Academy.  In  the  autumn  of  1838  he  left  his  native  State,  and  in  forty-two 
days  made  the  trip  from  New  Haven  to  Illinois,  going  down  the  Ohio  River 
from  Pitts Durg  to  Cairo,  thence  up  the  Mississippi  to  St.  Louis,  and  then 
by  stage  to  Springfield,  111.  A  walk  of  twenty  miles  brought  him  to  Bald 
Knob,  where  his  uncle  lived.  Next  morning  he  went  to  work  for  the  latter 
at  $8  a  month ;  two  years  after  (1840)  he  had  saved  up  enough  money  to 
enter,  at  $1.25  an  acre,  forty  acres  of  rich  prairie  land  near  what  is  now 
CornlaDd,  Logan  Co.,  111.  He  began  farming  for  himself  in  that  year.  He 
bought  all  the  land  he  could  possibly  acquire  with  his  savings  and  culti- 
vated every  acre  of  it.  Corn  beiner  worth  only  six  to  eight  cents  per  bushel 
would  not  pay,  but  corn  fed  to  cattle  and  hogs  would.  He  soon  formed 
the  purpose  of  breeding  a  line  of  graded  stock  for  the  Eastern  trade  which 
would  excel  anything  in  the  market.  He  bought  the  best  bulls  and  cows  of 
his  neighbors,  and  about  1850  bought  from  Judge  Skinner  of  Mount  Pulaski 
a  "  Durham  "  bull  which  had  been  brought  from  Kentucky.  This  bull  was  a 
blue-roan  of  the  Patton  stock.  He  raised  the  first  thirteen  roan  calves 
from  him  and  fed  them  to  maturity — the  first  cattle  of  his  own  breeding 
and  raising  he  ever  marketed — and  sold  them  to  James  Jones  of  Ohio,  who 
drove  them  East,  probably  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  as  that  was  the  big  cattle 
market  at  that  time.  Mr.  Gillett  always  bought  his  bulls  from  outside 
sources.  Whenever  he  saw  a  Short-horn  cow  or  bull  that  would  come  up 
to  his  idea  as  to  what  a  beef  animal  should  be  he  bought  it.  He  was  in  hia 
prime  as  a  cattle-breeder  and  shipper  from  about  1871,  when  he  first  began 
to  ship  cattle  to  England  until  1888,  when  he  died.  His  herd  was  constantly 
increasing,  and  while  unregistered  was  practically  pure  bred.  He  owned 
at  his  death  about  19,000  acres  of  land,  about  1,000  head  of  cows  of  his  own 
raising  and  breeding  and  their  increase  for  two  years,  making  a  herd  of 
nearly  3,000  head.  A  striking  portrait  of  Mr.  Gillett  may  be  seen  In  terra- 
cotta relief  work  at  the  entrance  to  the  Bank  Building  at  the  Chicago  Union 
Stock- Yards— a  deserved  tribute  to  his  prominence  in  the  Western  cattle 
trade. 


810        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

Mary  family,  weighing  from  2,000  to  2,440  Ibs. 
each.  These  cattle  were  three  and  four  years  old. 
At  the  show  of  1879  the  championship  fell 
to  the  Kentucky-bred  roan  three-year-old  steer 
Nichols,  shown  by  J.  H.  Graves  at  a  weight 
of  2,060  Ibs.  He  represented  mainly  the  Duke 
of  Airdrie  and  Kenick  blood,  and  was  a  grand 
specimen  of  the  best  type  of  prime  beeves  in 
demand  at  that  period.  Even  at  this  early 
day  a  call  was  made  for  the  abolition  of  the 
class  for  four-year-olds.  After  the  holding  of 
the  second  show  it  was  pointed  out  that  the 
championships  had  both  been  won  by  three- 
year-olds.  Besides  this  Mr.  Gillett  had  under- 
taken to  carry  over  the  champion  of  the  first 
show  in  the  hope  of  winning  again  at  the 
second,  but  he  came  back  so  rough  and  tallowy 
that  he  failed  to  receive  even  second  prize. 
Notwithstanding  this  fact  Nichols  was  re- 
turned to  the  show  of  1880*  and  again  received 
championship  honors,  tipping  the  scales  at  the 
great  weight  of  2,465  Ibs.  Mr.  Gillett  was 
again  prominent  as  an  exhibitor,  but  as  he 
brought  his  cattle  direct  from  the  pastures 
without  special  handling  or  fitting  in  the  mod- 

*  Nichols  was  shown  at  the  exhibition  of  1879  as  a  pure-bred  Short-horn, 
but  his  exhibitor  acting  upon  information  alleged  to  have  been  subse- 
quently furnished,  presented  him  at  the  show  of  1880  as  a  grade.  The 
steer's  age  was  also  called  in  question  and  a  heated  controversy  was 
waged  in  reference  to  him  during  the  exhibition  of  1880.  There  was  no 
question  as  to  his  outstanding  superiority  or  as  to  his  being  to  all  intent? 
and  purposes  a  purely-bred  Short-horn. 


A    DUAL-PURPOSE    BREED.  811 

ern  sense  of  the  term*  his  steers  were  faulted 
as  lacking  in  show-yard  finish. 

Mr.  John  B.  Sherman  of  the  Chicago  Union 
Stock-Yards  for  many  seasons  made  a  practice 
of  buying  and  maintaining  in  a  show  barn  at 
the  yards  fine  specimens  of  the  best  show  steers 
from  year  to  year,  and  at  the  exhibition  of 
1880  he  presented  at  the  Fat-Stock  Show  the 
monster  Short-horn  Nels  Morris  at  an  official 
weight  of  3.125  Ibs.,  which  is,  we  believe,  the 
record  for  weight  at  these  shows.  For  some 
years  a  class  for  heaviest  fat  steers  was  main- 
tained, but  as  it  only  served  to  bring  out  an 
aggregation  of  unprofitable  mountains  of  tal- 
low it  was  properly  abandoned.  Messrs.  Dodge 
of  Ohio  had  a  pair  of  pure-bred  twin  four-year- 
old  Short-horn  steers  at  the  show  of  1882, 
weighing  together  5,250  Ibs.  The  four-year-old 
class  was  dropped  after  the  show  of  1880. 

Mr.  Gillett  gained  the  championship  in  1881 
with  his  celebrated  red  bullock  McMullen  at  a 
weight  of  2,095  Ibs.,  after  a  hotly  contested 
fight  with  Miller's  grade  Hereford  Conqueror. 
Morrow  &  Muir  of  Kentucky  exhibited  a  good 
load  of  Short-horns  at  this  show,  and  entries 
were  also  made  by  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son  and  the 
Bow  Park  management,  the  latter  exhibiting 
the  champion  cow,  Lady  Aberdeen  3d. 

McMullen  came  back  to  the  show  of  1882, 
having  made  a  gain  for  the  year  of  470  Ibs., 


812         A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

« 

and  repeated  his  championship  winning  of  the 
previous  year  at  a  weight  of  2,565  Ibs.  He  was 
a  good  type  of  the  old-fashioned  sort,  possess- 
ing a  table  back  and  enormous  size,  but  stand- 
ing rather  high  from  the  ground.  The  Messrs. 
Groff  of  Canada  supplied  a  great  2,400-lb.  steer 
at  this  show  called  Canadian  Champion,  that 
had  a  more  even  distribution  of  thick  flesh 
than  McMullen,  and  John  Hope  appeared  from 
Bow  Park  with  his  famous  Bates-bred  white 
bullock,  Clarence  Kirklevington,  as  a  yearling, 
weighing  1,620  Ibs.  Messrs.  Potts  had  a  re- 
markable steer  in  this  show  also,  known  as  Red 
Major,  a  well-ripened  bullock  weighing  1,600 
Ibs.  at  715  days  old.  The  late  Hon.  D.  M.  Mon- 
inger,  of  Galvin,  la.,  one  of  the  most  noted 
of  the  Trans-Mississippi  feeders  of  his  day, 
and  a  disciple  of  John  D.  Gillett,  exhibited  in 
1882  his  famous  "Crimson  Herd,"  including  the 
good,  thick-fleshed,  short-legged  1,945-lb.  steer 
Tom  Brown. 

In  1883  Mr.  C.  M.  Culbertson,  Newman,  111., 
won  the  championship  with  a  roan  white-faced 
steer,  Roan  Boy,  sired  by  a  Hereford  bull  out  of 
a  Short-horn  cow,  both  factions  claiming  a  full 
share  of  the  honor  of  the  award.  This  was  a 
memorable  show,  the  grade  class  being  perhaps 
the  largest  ever  seen  at  this  exhibition,  and  re- 
markable for  the  large  number  of  Herefords 
shown  by  Messrs.  Earl  &  Stuart,  Fowler  & 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED.  813 

Van  Natta,  Culbertson,  Seabury  &  Sample  and 
Thomas  Clark.  An  interesting  feature  of  this 
show  was  the  exhibition  by  Geary  Bros,  of 
Canada  of  the  imported  Aberdeen-Angus  three- 
year-old  bullock  Black  Prince.  Another  noted 
animal  was  Fowler  &  Van  Natta's  Benton's 
Champion,  sired  by  a  Hereford  bull  out  of  a 
grade  Short-horn  dam.*  Clarence  Kirkleving- 
ton  was  also  'forward  as  a  two-year-old,  win- 
ning first  in  his  class.  Other  notable  entries 
were  Imboden's  Short-horn  Scratch,  Tom 
Clark's  Hereford  Tuck,  and  Adams  Earl's  Here- 
ford Wabash. 

Eighteen  hundred  and  eighty-four  was  Clar- 
ence Kirklevington's  year.  The  lordly  snow- 
white  bullock  came  forward  that  season  at  a 
weight  of  2,400  Ibs.,  and  with  his  beautiful 
head,  superb  finish,  great  scale  and  command- 
ing show-yard  presence  was  not  to  be  denied 
championship  honors.  After  beating  down  all 
opposition  on  foot  he  finished  his  triumphant 
career  by  gaining  the  championship  in  the 
dressed  carcass  contest,  although  this  lat- 
ter award  did  not  escape  severe  criticism. 
Another  grand  Short-horn  steer  at  this  same 
show  was  Morrow  &  Renick's  Kentucky-bred 
roan,  Schooler,  one  of  the  handsomest  bullocks 

*A  fat-stock  show  was  held  this  year  at  Kansas  City,  at  which  the 
championship  was  gained  by  J.  H.  Potts  &  Son's  Short-horn  grade  Star- 
light, weighing  2,170  Ibs.  That  show  was  continued  for  several  years,  but 
was  finally  abandoned  on  account  of  depression  in  the  Western  cattle 
trade. 


814        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ever  seen  at  a  fat-stock  show  in  this  country. 
The  richly- fleshed  grade  Short-horn  Charley 
Ross,  shown  by  Messrs.  Ross  of  Ohio,  defeated 
at  this  show  a  large  and  excellent  ring  of  three- 
year-olds  representing  the  different  breeds.  In 
1885  and  again  in  1886  the  Heref ords  bore  away 
the  chief  honors  with  the  grade  Regulus  and 
the  pure-bred  Rudolph  Jr.,  the  former  shown 
by  Fowler  &  Van  Natta  and  the  latter  by  George 
Morgan.  A  remarkably  handsome  yearling 
pure-bred  Short-horn  known  as  Cleveland  was 
shown  by  Messrs.  Elbert  &  Fall  of  Albia,  la.,  at 
the  show  of  1885,  winning  the  yearling  cham- 
pionship.* Rudolph  Jr.,  the  Hereford,  was  the 
first  young  steer  of  the  "pony"  type  to  win  a 
championship  at  these  shows,  and  it  was  notice- 
able that  the  two-year-olds  of  all  breeds  were 
beginning  to  come  forward  much  stronger  rela- 
tively than  the  older  cattle.  The  show  was  be- 
ginning to  bear  fruit.  The  idea  that  cattle 
could  be  profitably  fed  until  four  years  old  was 
being  rapidly  exploded.!  So  practical  and  suc- 

*  Messrs.  Elbert  &  Fall  were  for  many  years  prominent  breeders  of 
pure-bred  Short-horns,  handling  many  excellent  cattle  and  making-  a 
number  of  very  successful  public  sales.  They  became  the  owners  of  the 
Bates-bred  stock  of  Colonel  H.  M.  Vaile  of  Independence,  Mo.,  famous  for 
the  merit  of  the  Waterloos. 

t  We  believe  that  Messrs.  James  N.  Brown's  Sons  of  Sangamon  County 
were  the  first  to  advocate  classes  for  calves  and  yearlings  at  the  fat-stock 
show.  Mr.  William  Brown  of  that  firm,  whose  genial  personalty  and  high 
intelligence  have  endeared  him  to  a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances, usually  represented  the  firm  upon  such  occasions,  and  it  must  be 
recorded  that  Grove  Park  in  the  early  days  of  the  fat-stock  show  lived  up 
to  the  best  traditions  of  its  earlier  years  when  it  was  the  primary  source 
of  Short-horn  power  in  the  State  of  Illinois. 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE    BREED.  815 

cessful  a  man  as  John  D.  Gillett  stated  pub- 
licly that  he  had  abandoned  his  former  methods 
and  was  now  aiming  to  market  cattle  at  about 
thirty  months  old. 

At  the  show  of  1887  Short-horns  resumed 
their  winning;  the  championship  being  carried 
by  I).  M.  Moninger's  Doctor  Glick — an  1,855-lb. 
two-year-old  grade.  The  champion  of  the  class 
for  pure-bred  Short-horns  was  J.  J.  Hill's  three- 
year-old  Prentice,  representing  a  cross  of  his 
Oxford  bull  upon  one  of  his  mixed-bred  cows. 
Moffat  Bros.,  Paw  Paw,  111.,  had  a  wonderfully 
thick  two-year-old  in  this  show — Cruickshank 
2d,  sired  by  imp.  Amherst  and  weighing  1,705 
Ibs.  In  1888  the  Aberdeen-Angus  Dot,  bred  by 
Wallace  Estill  and  shown  by  Mr.  Imboden  re- 
ceived chief  honors  of  the  show;  his  closest 
competitor  at  the  finish  being  the  two-year-old 
Short-horn  Brant  Chief  from  Bow  Park.  The 
Angus  weighed  1,515  Ibs.  at  863  days,  an  aver- 
age gain  per  day  of  1.75.  The  Short-horn 
weighed  1,890  Ibs.  at  1,022  days,  an  average 
gain  per  day  of  1.85.  One  of  the  strongest 
steers  of  this  show  was  Potts'  Richmond,  and 
another  capital  entry  was  Blish  &  Son's  year- 
ling Mark,  sired  by  Dick  Taylor  of  Glenwood. 
The  champion  of  the  show  of  1889  was  Elbert 
&  Fall's  grade  twg-year-old  Short-horn  Rigdon, 
a  son  of  the  Duchess  bull  2d  Duke  of  Brant, 
shown  in  beautiful  bloom  at  a  weight  of  1,950 


816        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Ibs.  The  champion  of  the  Short-horn  class  at 
this  show  was  J.  J.  Hill's  Britisher,  a  sappy, 
thick-fleshed  roan,  got  by  a  bull  that  was  sired 
by  imp.  Gambetta  out  of  a  Cruickshank  Bra- 
with  Bud  cow  sired  by  a  Bates  Oxford  bull. 
Mr.  W.  H.  Renick,  who  had  been  a  persistent 
and  successful  exhibitor,  showing  cattle  full  of 
the  Rose  of  Sharon  blood,  was  also  well  repre- 
sented in  this  exhibition  by  the  handsome  two- 
year-old  bullocks  Nonesuch  and  Twilight,  that 
divided  the  ballots  of  Messrs.  Moberley  and 
Gosling  in  their  class.  At  the  show  of  1890 
Nonesuch  came  back  and  carried  off  the  cham- 
pionship in  his  three-year-old  form  at  a  weight 
of  2,090  Ibs. 

In  1891  the  three-year-old  class  was  dropped; 
so  general  had  become  the  conviction  that  the 
three-year-olds  should  no  longer  be  encouraged. 
The  abolition  of  this  class,  together  with  the 
depressing  influence  of  a  dragging  market 
throughout  the  entire  country  for  pure-bred 
cattle,  materially  decreased  the  size  of  the 
show.  The  exhibition,  while  it  had  been  im- 
mensely popular  with  all  close  students  of  the 
problems  of  profitable  meat  production,  had 
never  been  a  financial  success.  It  had  now  en- 
tered upon  a  serious  decline,  and,  as  the  large 
Exposition  Building  upon  the  Chicago  Lake 
Front,  in  which  the  shows  had  been  held  from 
the  beginning,  was  about  to  be  torn  down  the 


A    DUAL-PURPOSE    BREED.  817 

management  abandoned  the  exhibition  after  the 
show  of  1891,  at  which  the  championship  was 
won  by  Mr.  Van  Natta's  tworyear-old  Hereford 
Hickory  Nut.  The  champion  of  the  Short-horn 
class  at  this  final  show  was  Potts'  Captain.  The 
yearling  championship  of  the  hall  was  won  by 
John  Gosling's  Bob  Cass,  a  three-quarter-bred 
Short-horn;  the  calf  championship  falling  to 
Milton  E.  Jones'  Tallmadge,  sired  by  Spartan 
Hero.*  In  the  fall  of  1892,  through  the  efforts 
of  private  individuals,  a  so-called  ''emergency'' 
show  was  held  at  the  stock-yards,  at  which  the 
champion  prize  was  awarded  Potts  &  Son's 
King.  In  1893  at  the  Columbian  Show  the 
championship  fell  to  Milton  E.  Jones  of  Wil- 

*  During  the  palmy  days  of  the  American  fat-stock  show,  when  the 
rivalry  of  the  breeds  was  at  its  height,  the  annual  meetings  of  the  various 
National  associations  of  breeders  were  characterized  by  an  enthusiasm 
which  has  had  no  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  American  live-stock  trade. 
The  old  Grand  Pacific  Hotel  in  Chicago,  under  the  management  of  the 
late  John  B.  Drake  and  Samuel  Parker,  was  the  favorite  rendezvous  for  a 
coterie  of  choice  spirits  whose  lives  were  devoted  to  the  cattle  trade;  and 
many  an  interesting  "session"  has  been  held  beneath  the  roof  of  that 
famous  old-time  hostelry.  It  was  the  one  occasion  of  the  entire  year  when 
the  wealthy  fanciers,  substantial  breeders,  the  "  field  marshals "  of  the 
feeding  fraternity,  and  in  fact  all  who  were  interested  in  the  fortunes  of 
any  of  the  leading  breeds  came  together  for  an  interchange  of  ideas  and 
for  the  indulgence  of  that  spirit  of  camaraderie  that  has  ever  characterized 
those  who  devote  themselves  heart  and  soul  to  the  breeding  and  fitting  of 
the  improved  types  of  domestic  animals.  During  the  day  all  hands  would 
devote  themselves  to  the  excitements  of  the  show  in  progress  in  the  old 
Exposition  Building  on  the  Lake  Front,  or  to  the  auction  sales  in  progress 
at  Dexter  Park.  At  night  around  the  banquet  board,  or  under  the  mellow- 
ing influences  of  good  company  and  an  occasional  bottle  there  would  be  a 
"  feast  of  reason  and  a  flow  of  soul "  that  lingered  long  in  the  memories  of 
those  who  were  privileged  to  enter  the  charmed  circle.  Those  golden 
days  are  gone,  perhaps  never  to  return.  Many  of  the  leading  spirits  have 
passed  away,  but  those  who  survive  will  never  cease  to  rejoice  that  they 
were  permitted  to  participate  in  the  scenes  which  will  always  cluster 
around  their  recollections  of  the  Grand  Pacific. 


818         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

liamsville,  111.,  on  the  two-year-old  Short-horn 
Banner  Bearer.  In  1894  the  Illinois  State  Board 
made  one  final  effort,  holding  an  exhibition  at 
TattersalPs  in  Chicago,  the  Short-horns  leaving 
off,  as  they  had  begun  in  1878,  by  capturing  the 
championship,  the  award  going  to  J.  H.  Potts 
&  Son's  Whiskers  of  Milton  E.  Jones'  breeding. 
Since  that  date  America  has  unfortunately  been 
without  a  fat-stock  show.  It  appears  from  the 
above  record  that  the  Short-horns  won  eleven 
out  of  the  sixteen  championships  awarded,  be- 
sides contributing  to  the  blood  of  two  of  the 
grade  Hereford  champions. 

On  the  range. — As  already  stated  it  was  the 
blood  of  Short-horn  bulls  that  laid  the  founda- 
tion for  the  present  improved  class  of  cattle 
coming  from  the  Western  ranges.  Large  num- 
bers of  them  had  been  used  throughout  the 
Western  country  before  the  Herefords  were 
bred  in  the  Western  States,  so  that  when  the 
''white-faced'7  bulls  began  going  upon  the 
ranges  the  cow  herds  were  in  many  instances 
well  graded  up  with  Short-horn  blood.  The 
Southwest  has  been  the  great  breeding  ground 
of  the  new  West  and  few  men  are  better  qual- 
ified to  speak  of  the  manner  in  which  the  great 
herds  of  the  Texas  Panhandle  have  been 
brought  to  their  present  level  than  Mr.  Charles 
Goodnight.  In  a  recent  letter  to  the  author 
Mr.  Goodnight,  who  is  recognized  as  one  of 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE    BREED.  819 

the  leaders  in  the  improvement  of  Southwest- 
ern herds,  says: 

When  I  came  into  the  Panhandle  of  Texas  it  was  an  unsettled, 
wild,  being  some  250  miles  to  the  nearest  settlement  toward  the 
East  and  Southeast.  Having  no  communication  with  the  settled 
portion  of  the  State  for  a  number  of  years  I  cannot  advise  you  as 
to  the  date  when  they  commenced  to  breed  Short-horns  in  these 
districts,  I  came  to  the  Panhandle  in  1876  from  Colorado,  bringing 
with  me,  among  other  cattle,  about  130  high-grade  and  some  pure- 
bred Short-horns,  or  "Durhams,"  as  we  were  accustomed  to  call 
them.  I  had  bought  in  Kentucky  in  1869  114  head  of  pedigreed 
Short-horn  bulls  as  calves,  and  used  them  to  great  advantage. 
Some  years  later  I  bought  about  300  high-grade  and  pedigreed 
Short-horns  in  Kansas  and  Missouri,  and  from  this  "plant"  the 
Panhandle  of  Texas  was  largely  "  blooded.' 

At  a  later  date  these  cattle  and  their  descendants  were  crossed 
by  Herefords,  from  which  cross  sprung  some  of  the  most  noted  of 
existing  Panhandle  herds.  In  this  altitude  and  climate  the  great- 
est success  is  attained  by  this  cross,  and  we  will  continue  to  so 
breed  cattle  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Murdo  Mackenzie,  manager  for  the  Mat- 
ador Land  and  Cattle  Co.,  one  of  the  largest 
"outfits"  in  the  Panhandle  country,  confirms 
Mr.  Goodnight's  testimony  as  to  the  partiality 
of  Southwestern  ranchmen  for  a  dip  of  Short- 
horn blood.  While  other  breeds  have  staunch 
friends  and  will  undoubtedly  continue  to  be 
largely  used  in  the  Western  trade,  Mr.  Mac- 
kenzie, in  common  with  most  other  unpreju- 
diced men,  claims  that  the  blood  of  the  Short- 
horn will  ever  remain  a  prime  factor  in  main- 
taining the  size,  of  the  Southwestern  stock. 
He  states  that  on  the  occasion  of  a  recent  visit 
to  the  great  X  I  T  range,  the  largest  in  the 
world,  the  property  of  the  Capitol  Syndicate,  he 


820         A   HISTORY   OF  SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

called  the  attention  of  the  manager  to  the  fact 
that  the  Short-horn  steers  would  average  sev- 
enty-five pounds  heavier  than  those  in  which 
other  bloods  predominated,  which  fact  was 
promptly  admitted.  No  man  in  the  American 
cattle  trade  stands  higher  than  Murdo  Macken- 
zie. A  large  buyer  and  user  of  Herefords  him- 
self, his  statements  herewith  quoted,  made  in 
the  course  of  a  recent  interview  with  the  au- 
thor, reflect  not  the  partisanship  of  a  Short- 
horn breeder,  but  the  deliberate  judgment  of 
one  of  the  best  informed  and  most  intelligent 
of  the  present  generation  of  brainy  cattlemen 
operating  on  the  Western  range. 

Similar  testimony  comes  from  every  nook 
and  corner  of  the  great  grazing  grounds  of  the 
Western  plains  and  mountain  valleys  as  well 
as  from  the  Pacific  Slope.*  In  the  Northwest 
Short-horn  blood  has  been  iu  demand  ever 
since  neat  cattle  superseded  the  buffalo.  Con- 
rad Kohrs,f  Pierre  Wibaux  and  their  contem- 
poraries have  spread  the  Short-horn  colors  ev- 

*  Pure-bred  Short-horns  were  introduced  into  Calif  ornia  a  great  many 
yeara  ago  and  the  blood  has  been  freely  used  upon  the  immense  ranches  of 
that  State.  One  of  the  most  notable  shipments  ever  sent  to  the  Coast  was 
a  purchase  made  by  John  D.  Carr  from  Col.  William  S.  King  of  Lyndale, 
which  included  among'  other  celebrities  the  great  imported  Cruickshank 
cow  Christabel,  by  Champion  of  England. 

t Conrad  Kohrs  made  his  first  large  investment  in  Northwestern  cattle 
in  1866,  when  he  bought  from  "Johnnie"  Grant  a  large  herd  containing 
many  well-bred  Short-horns.  In  1871  he  began  buying  Short-horn  bulls  on 
an  extensive  scale  throughout  the  corn-belt.  His  annual  shipments  of 
beef  cattle  to  Eastern  markets  have  averaged  about  3,000  head,  and  these, 
on  account  of  their  good  breeding,  have  uniformly  commanded  a  high 
price 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE    BREED.  821 

erywhere  throughout  the  Northern  range.  In 
the  course  of  a  recent  letter  to  the  author  Mr. 
Wibaux  says: 

I  will  simply  say  this,  that  the  Short-horn  is  the  only  bull  to 
use  in  a  free-grazing  country.  I  bought  my  first  one  in  Kentucky 
in  1883  and  have  been  using  them  ever  since.  Whenever  I  have 
branched  out  with  other  breeds  1,  have  been  sorry  for  it,  as  the 
increase  would  then  be  reduced  in  size  or  of  bad  color.  Our  oldest 
herds  in  Montana,  and  the  best  we  ever  had,  were  bred  from  the 
Short-horn. 

Mr.  Wibaux  ranks  as  one  of  the  "cattle 
kings''  of  the  West  and  while  his  testimony 
may  sound  rather  radical  it  serves  to  demon- 
strate that  notwithstanding  the  admitted  value 
and  popularity  of  other  breeds  in  connection 
with  Western  ranching  the  Short-horn  has  a 
permanent  hold  in  that  trade  as  well  as  among 
the  farmers,  feeders  and  dairymen  of  the  older 
States. 

Dairy  capacity. — From  the  earliest  periods 
the  breed  has  produced  cows  of  splendid  capac- 
ity at  the  pail.  One  of  the  first  of  the  English 
breeders  to  pay  special  attention  to  the  dairy 
quality  of  his  herd  was  Jonas  Whitaker,  whose 
cows  were  celebrated  throughout  all  England 
for  their  splendid  udders  and  heavy  flow  of 
milk,  Bates  was  always  proud  of  his  butter 
records.  Indeed,  in  the  early  days  there  was 
scarcely  a  herd  of  note  that  did  not  possess  cows 
of  exceptional  capacity  in  this  direction.  Even 
at  Killerby  and  Warlaby,  where  beef  was  the 
prime  consideration,  deep-milking  cows  were 


822        A    HISTORY    OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

frequently  developed.  Sir  Charles  Knigtitley 
with  his  Fawsley  Fillpails  carried  the  reputa- 
tion of  the  Short-horn  as  a  milking  stock 
throughout  the  entire  cattle-breeding  world. 

The  early  importations  into  New  England 
and  the  East  were  specially  distinguished  in 
this  regard;  the  descendants  of  such  imported 
cows  as  Pansy,  Arabella,  Agatha,  Belina,  the 
Princesses  and  many  others  furnishing  bounti- 
ful supplies  of  dairy  products.  Cows  descend- 
ing from  the  earlier  Ohio  and  Kentucky  impor- 
tations, although  not  handled  to  such  an  extent 
as  were  those  of  the  East,  with  a  view  toward 
dairy  work,  often  gave  much  more  milk  than 
their  lusty  calves  could  possibly  take  care  of. 
The  earlier  volumes  of  the  American  Herd  Book 
contain  many  references  to  remarkable  milk 
and  butter  records,  and  coming  down  to  recent 
times  we  have  the  official  Columbian  test,  the 
records  of  various  State  fairs  and  agricultural 
colleges,  as  well  as  private  dairies,  to  prove 
that  this  valuable  trait  still  exists  whenever 
and  wherever  the  necessary  pains  are  taken  to 
cultivate  it.  This  is  as  true  to-day  in  the  old 
country  as  it  is  in  the  United  States,  as  is 
shown  by  the  official  records  of  the  London 
Dairy  Show  and  by  the  books  of  the  great  Eng- 
lish dairy  supply  companies  and  of  the  herds 
making  a  specialty  of  the  milking  strains. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  milking  habit 


DOWAGER  SD. 

First-Prize  Dairy  Cow  at  the  Royal  English  Shows  of  1892  and  1893. 
Produced  501  Ibs.  of  butter  in  12  months. 


MOLLY  MILLICENT. 

The  Celebrated  English  Show  Coiv.     Bred  and  exhibited  by  Robt.  Thompson, 

Inglewood,  Penrith.    (Reproduced  from  drawing  in  "London 

Live  Stock  Journal.") 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE    BREED.  823 

is  one  which  may  lie  dormant  if  neglected 
and  which  is  yet  susceptible  of  cultivation  to 
a  remarkable  degree.  At  present  a  large  pro- 
portion of  Short-horn  breeders  devote  their  at- 
tention rather  to  the  development  of  the  feed- 
ing and  fleshing  qualities  of  their  stock  at  the 
expense  of  the  milk-making  proclivities.  This 
is  a  point  which  needs  attention.  It  is  a  well- 
known  fact  that  the  best  milkers,  as  a  rule, 
prove  the  best  mothers,  rear  the  best  calves 
and  thus  become  the  most  reliable  sources  of 
profit  in  the  herd.  A  typical  Short-horn  cow 
should  require  no  "  wet-nurse  "  for  her  progeny, 
and  by  a  judicious  system  of  selection  and 
management  any  good  breeding  herd  may  be- 
come noted  for  its  milk  as  well  as  for  its  beef. 
In  this  fact  lies  the  chief  glory  of  the  Short- 
horn.* 

State  fair  tests. — We  can  conceive  of  no 
place  more  thoroughly  unsuited  for  the  proper 
testing  of  dairy  cows  than  our  American  State 
fairs.  Few  animals  can  be  expected  to  do 
themselves  justice  immediately  after  a  railway 
journey,  set  down  in  the  midst  of  new  and  un- 

*  Space  will  not  admit  of  our  endeavoring'  to  collect  and  set  forth  the 
many  remarkable  milk  and  butter  records  made  by  Short-horn  cows  in 
England.  We  are  indebted  to  Prof.  W.  J.  Kennedy  of  the  Illinois  Agricul- 
tural Experiment  Station  for  the  portrait  of  the  English-bred  cow  Dowager 
3d.  which  is  reproduced  in  this  volume.  This  cow  was  bred  and  owned  by 
Mr.  C.  A.  Pratt,  Bushford,  Evesham,  Eng.,  and  was  first-prize  winner  at 
the  Royal  shows  of  1892  and  1893,  besides  proving  the  best  dairy  cow  by 
actual  test.  Her  milk  record  was  68  Ibs.  in  one  day,  from  which  2  Ibs.  10  oz. 
of  butter  were  made.  She  was  a  magnificent  type  of  the  dual-purpose  sort 
and  had  a  butter  record  of  561  Ibs.  in  one  year. 


824        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

favorable  surroundings  under  the  uncertain 
influences  of  a  change  of  feed  and  water.  Nev- 
ertheless, various  State  boards  of  agriculture 
have  offered  prizes  for  short  tests  officially  con- 
ducted upon  these  occasions,  and  in  proof  of 
what  Short-horns  can  do  even  under  these  con- 
ditions the  following  figures  are  submitted: 

New  York  State  Fair  in  1889,  Fillpail  3d  (Vol.  XXXIV,  page 
933)  in  twenty-four  hours  gave  303^  Ibs.  of  milk,  from  which  1% 
Ibs.  of  butter  were  made.  At  same  fair  Betsy  7th  (Vol.  XXXV) 
in  twenty-four  hours  gave  19%  Ibs.  of  milk,  from  which  3  Ibs.  and 
^  oz.  of  butter  was  made.  Fillpail  3d  had  produced  her  calf 
ninety-seven  days  before  and  Betsy  7th  176  days  before. 

Indiana  State  Fair  1889,  Wild  Duchess  of  Oxford  (Vol.  XXXII, 
page  467),  test  from  Sept.  9  to  Sept.  16,  inclusive,  7  Ibs.  12  oz  of 
butter  were  made,  weighed  after  the  second  working  and  free 
from  buttermilk.  The  test  on  the  fair  grounds  was  twenty-four 
hours,  in  which  time  she  gave  32  Ibs.  7^  oz.  of  milk. 

Missouri  State  Fair,  same  year,  Red  Rosa  (Vol.  XXVIII,  page 
1007)  in  twenty-four  hours  gave  3  gals.  3  qts.  of  milk  and  8  oz.  of 
butter.  She  took  the  second  prize  in  sweepstakes,  being  beaten 
by  a  Jersey  giving  2  gals.  1  qt.  of  milk,  yielding  8  oz.  of  butter. 

Illinois  State  Fair  in  1890,  Cora  B.  (Vol.  XXV,  page  650), 
twenty-four  hours  test  gave  24}^  Ibs.  milk ;  total  solids,  3.017. 
Beatitude  gave  21.50  Ibs.  of  milk,  total  solids,  2.716. 

Michigan  State  Fair  1890,  Moss  Rose  4th  (Vol.  XXXV,  page 
579) ,  one  day's  test,  butter  2  Ibs.  in  grand  sweepstakes,  there  being 
eight  entries. 

Iowa  State  Fair  1890,  Cora  B.  (Vol.  XXV,  page  650),  twelve 
hours'  test,  25.75  Ibs.  milk ;  butter-fat,  1.05 ;  cream  gauge,  11.50  per 
cent.  Valentine  Gwynne  (Vol.  XXXVI)  gave  21^  Ibs.  of  milk, 
butter-fat,  87 ;  cream  gauge,  10  per  cent. 

Kentucky  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Association  in  1890, 
Carnation  43d  (Vol.  XXVI,  page  1239)  two-day  test  milking,  one 
held  the  week  before  the  fair  and  the  other  on  the  fair  grounds. 
First  test  was  52  Ibs.  and  on  the  fair  grounds  12  qts.  Zenda vista 
(Vol.  XXVI,  page  1239),  first  test  48  Ibs.,  on  the  fair  grounds  12 
qts.  Heifers  under  three  years  old,  Lakewood  Lady  (Vol. 
XXXVI)  first  test  9  Ibs.,  on  the  fair  ground  3%  qts.  Chautauqua 
Belle,  first  test  11  Ibs.  and  on  the  fair  ground  5  qts. 


r<  H 
ha  f1 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED.  825 

New  York  State  Fair  in  1890,  Kitty  Clay  3d  (Vol.  XXI,  page 
553)  gave  42  Ibs.  13  oz.  milk  from  which  1  Ib.  11  oz.  of  butter  was 
made,  unsalted.  Constance  of  Brookdale  28th  (Vol  XXXIII,  page 
596)  gave  42  Ibs.  3  oz.  of  milk  and  1  Ib.  8  oz.  of  butter  was  made. 
Chautauqua  Belle  36th  gave  23  Ibs.  10  oz.  of  milk  from  which  12  oz. 
of  butter  was  made.  Lakewood  Lady  (Vol.  XXXVI)  gave  11  Ibs. 
8  oz.,  from  which  8  oz.  of  butter  was  made,  the  two  latter  being  in 
the  younger  class. 

Western  Pennsylvania  Agricultural  Association  in  1890,  Dolly 
2d  (Vol.  XXXIV,  page  618),  52  Ibs.  15  oz.  of  milk,  lactometer  test 
110  per  cent  above  State  standard.  The  actual  worth  of  milk  at 
$1.50  per  hundred,  79  per  cent.  Actual  worth  of  milk  $1.16,  cost  of 
feed,  twenty-six  days  test,  40  cents.  Net  gain  in  two  days  test, 
56  cents.  Bracelet  llth  (XXVII,  page  585) ,  weight  of  milk,  71  Ibs. 
13  oz. ;  lactometer  test  109  per  cent  above  State  standard.  Current 
worth  of  milk  at  $1.50  per  hundred  was  $1.07.  Actual  worth  of 
milk  at  $1.50  per  hundred,  $1.29;  cost  of  feed  two-day  test,  74 
cents.  Net  gain,  55  cents. 

Nebraska  State  Board  of  Agriculture  in  1890,  5th  Mistletoe  of 
the  Grove  (Vol.  XIX,  page  14718),  two  days  test;  first  day,  milk, 
327-16  Ibs. ;  butter,  1.46  Ibs. ;  second  day,  milk,  28  9-16  Ibs. ;  butter,  27 
Ibs. ;  total  milk  for  two  days,  61  Ibs. ;  total  amount  of  butter  in  two 
days,  2.73.  Cora  B.  (Vol.  XXV,  page  650),  first  day,  milk,  33  Ibs. 
1  oz. ;  butter,  1.17  Ibs. ;  second  day,  milk,  26  7-16  Ibs. ;  butter,  99  Ibs. ; 
total  milk  for  two  days,  59K  Ibs. ;  total  butter,  2.16. 

California  State  Fair  in  1891,  Cherry  Leaf  (Vol.  XXVII,  page 
363),  in  the  two-day  test,  gave  2.114  Ibs.  Mountain  Maid  (Vol. 
XXX,  page  801)  in  same  test  gave  1.13  Ibs.  butter. 

Indiana  State  Fair  in  1891,  Addie  (Vol.  XXXVI,  page  839) ,  in  the 
two-day  test,  gave  1.375  Ibs.  butter. 

Kansas  State  Fair  in  1891,  Genevieve  (Vol.  XXXVI,  page  860) , 
in  the  two-day  test,  made  2.838  Ibs.  butter.  Betsy  4th  (Vol.  XXX, 
page  501),  same  test,  made  2.822  Ibs. 

Kentucky  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Association  in  1891, 
Bridesmaid  (Vol.  XXV,  page  1293),  in  the  two-day  test,  2.656  Ibs. 
of  butter  were  made.  Carnation  43d  (Vol.  XXXVI,  page  1239) ,  in 
the  two-day  test,  2,343  Ibs. 

Michigan  State  Fair  in  1891,  Moss  Rose  4th  (Vol.  XXXV,  page 
579),  in  the  two-day  test,  made  3.25  Ibs. 

Missouri  State  Fair  in  1891,  Ada  of  Idlewild  (Vol.  XXXIV, 
page  615),  in  the  two-day  test,  made  1.74  Ibs. 

New  York  State  Fair  in  1891,  Fillpail  3d  (Vol.  XXXIV,  page. 


826        A   HISTORY  OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

923),  in  the  two-day  test,  made  3.29  Ibs.  Isa  (Vol.  XXXIV,  page 
780),  in  the  two-day  test,  gave  3.05  Ibs. 

Nebraska  State  Fair  in  1891,  Lady  Jane  Constance  (Vol.  XXXI, 
page  747),  in  the  two-day  test,  made  2.06  Ibs.  Maggie  Gunter 
(Vol.  XXXII,  page  508),  made  2,04  Ibs. 

Ohio  State  Fair  in  1891,  Bracelet  llth  (Vol.  XXVII,  page  585), 
in  two  days  gave  3.21  Ibs.  butter. 

Western  Pennsylvania  Agricultural  Association  in  1891,  Ver- 
vain (Vol.  XXXIV,  page  825),  in  the  two-day  test,  made  4.2  Ibs. 
Dolly  2d  (Vol.  XXXIV,  page  618),  in  the  two-day  test,  gave 
3.857  Ibs. 

At  the  Western  Fair  at  Ontario  in  1891,  Matilda  H.  (Vol. 
XXXVII),  in  the  two-day  test,  made  2.131  Ibs. 

Wisconsin  State  Fair  in  1891,  Lady  Campbell  (Vol.  XXV,  page 
841),  in  the  two-day  test,  gave  2.4. 

The  Columbian  records. — In  connection  with 
the  live-stock  exhibit  at  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition  in  Chicago  in  1893  the  most  elabor- 
ate official  test  of  the  relative  capacities  of 
dairy  cows  of  which  there  is  record  was  held. 
It  goes  without  saying  that  show-yard  sur- 
roundings are  not  conducive  to  the  best  results 
in  performances  of  this  kind.  The  most  that 
can  be  said  for  such  contests  is  that  they  are 
as  fair  for  one  breed  as  another.  The  Colum- 
bian test  covered  milk  and  butter  production 
as  well  as  cheese-making,  and  extended  over 
the  period  from  May  11  to  Oct.  4,  the  cows 
being  subject  to  close  confinement  in  tem- 
porary accommodations  and  endured  the  mid- 
summer heat.  The  American  Jersey  Cattle 
Club  appropriated  the  sum  of  $40,000  for  the 
purpose  of  making  the  strongest  possible  pre- 
sentation of  the  claims  of  that  famous  Channel 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED.  827 

Island  butter  breed.  {lundreds  of  carefully- 
conducted  tests  of  cows  of  that  type  had  been 
previously  reported,  so  that  it  was  compara- 
tively easy  to  select  cows  of  known  capacity 
to  represent  that  popular  breed  upon  this  occa- 
sion. The  American  Guernsey  Cattle  Club 
also  made  provision  for  a  choice  collection  of 
tested  cows.  The  Holstein-Friesian  breeders 
expressed  dissatisfaction  with  some  of  the  pro- 
visions under  which  the  tests  were  to  be  con- 
ducted and  declined  to  enter.  The  American 
Short-horn  Breeders'  Association,  with  com- 
mendable enterprise,  resolved  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  occasion  to  prove  that  the  "red, 
white  and  roans "  would  milk  as  well  as  make 
beef,  and  the  task  of  locating  and  collect- 
ing cows  for  that  purpose  was  entrusted  to 
Hon.  H.  H.  Hinds  of  Stanton,  Mich.  In 
spite  of  the  fact  that  insufficient  data  was  at 
hand  for  the  prompt  prosecution  of  the  work, 
Mr.  Hinds  succeeded  in  obtaining  the  requisite 
twenty-five  head,  and  it  was  largely  due  to  his 
efficient  and  unremitting  efforts  that  such  a 
satisfactory  showing  was  made  for  the  Short- 
horns in  the  face  of  the  strongest  opposition 
from  the  special  dairy  breeds  mentioned. 
Bearing  in  mind  the  fact  that  the  Short-horns 
have  been  bred  for  beef  to  a  far  greater  extent 
than  in  the  direction  of  dairy  performance,  the 
comparisons  shown  by  the  subjoined  summary 


828       A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

furnish  conclusive  demonstration  of  the  fact 
that  the  breed  possesses  latent  capabilities  as 
dairy  stock,  requiring  only  proper  attention  to 
render  it  an  important  factor  in  the  calcula- 
tions of  general  farmers  and  dairymen  : 

In  test  number  one,  for  cheese-making,  extending  from  May  11 
to  May  25,  the  Jersey  herd  stood  first,  the  Guernseys  second  and 
the  Short-horns  third ;  the  award  being  based  on  net  cost  of  pro- 
duction. Nevertheless,  the  Short-horns  yielded  12,186.9  Ibs.  of 
milk,  from  which  was  made  1,077.6  Ibs.  cheese.  The  best  individ- 
ual record  made  by  any  cow  in  this  test  was  70.92  Ibs.  of  cheese  by 
the  Jersey  cow  Ida  Marigold,  produced  at  a  net  profit  of  $6.97. 
The  Short-horn  cow  Nora  made  during  the  same  period  60  56  Ibs. 
at  a  net  profit  of  $6.27.  The  best  Guernsey  made  50.05  at  a  net 
profit  of  $5.27. 

Test  number  two,  extending  ninety  days,  from  May  1  to  Aug. 
28,  was  for  butter-making,  loss  or  gain  of  weight  and  cost  of  main- 
tenance to  be  considered.  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the 
Short-horn  herd  would  be  able  to  surpass  the  performance  of  the 
highly-specialized  butter  breeds  in  such  a  contest,  but  the  result 
demonstrated  for  all  time  the  dual-purpose  character  of  Short- 
horn cattle.  The  Jersey  herd  of  twenty-five  cows  produced  73,- 
4/8.8  Ibs.  of,  milk;  the  Short-horn  herd,  weakened  by  the  loss  of 
two  cows,  produced  66,263.2  Ibs.  of  milk,  and  the  twenty-five 
Guernseys  yielded  61,781. 7  Ibs.  of  milk.  The  Jerseys  were  cred- 
ited with  4,573.95  Ibs.  of  butter,  the  Guernseys  with  3,360.43  and 
the  twenty-three  Short-horns  with  2,890.86  Ibs.  of  butter.  Dur- 
ing this  same  period  the  Short-horn  cows  put  on  2,826  Ibs.  of  flesh, 
the  Jerseys  776  Ibs.  and  the  Guernseys  466  Ibs.  The  total  value  of 
product  produced  was  computed  to  be  for  the  Jerseys  $1,876.67,  for 
the  Guernseys  $1,465.46,  and  for  the  Short-horns  $1,286.78;  the  net 
profit  credited  to  the  Jerseys  being  $1,323  81,  to  the  Guernseys 
$997.63  and  to  the  Short-horns  $911.13. 

In  this  test  the  Short-horn  cow  Nora  produced  3,679.8  Ibs.  of 
milk,  from  which  was  made  160.57  Ibs.  butter,  and  while  doing 
this  she  gained  115  Ibs.  in  weight.  The  best  individual  Jersey  per- 
formance was  by  Brown  Bessie,  that  produced  3,634  Ibs.  of  milk, 
from  which  was  made  216.66  Ibs.  butter  and  recording  a  gain  in 
live  weight  of  eighty- one  pounds.  The  best  Guernsey,  Materna, 
produced  3,511.8  Ibs.  of  milk,  from  which  was  made  185.16  Ibs.  but- 
ter, the  cow  losing  thirteen  pounds  live  weight. 


KITTY  CLAY  4TH. 

Produced  1,592.8  Ibs.  milk,  from  which  was  made  62.24  Ibs.  butter,  and  gained 
28  Ibs.  in  iveight  during  Columbian  thirty-day  butter  test. 


YOUNG  MAKY  STEER  SCHOOLER. 

First-Prize  Three- Year- Old  at  American  Fat  Stocfc  Show,  1885. 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE    BREED.  829 

Test  number  three  was  for  butter  production  only  and  ex- 
tended thirty  days,  from  Aug.  29  to  Sept.  27.  In  this  contest  the  Jer- 
sey herd  was  credited  with  837.21  Ibs.  butter  from  13,921.9  Ibs.  milk, 
at  a  net  profit  of  $274.34.  The  Guernseys  produced  724.17  Ibs.  but- 
ter from  13,518.4  Ibs.  milk  at  a  net  profit  of  $237,  and  the  Short- 
horns produced  662.66  Ibs.  butter  from  15,618.3  Ibs.  milk,  at  a  net 
profit  of  $119.13.  In  this  test  the  best  Jersey  cow,  Brown  Bessie, 
produced  1,134.6  Ibs.  milk  from  which  was  made  72.32  Ibs.  butter, 
and  gained  seven  pounds  live  weight,  showing  a  net  profit  of 
$24.69.  The  best  Guernsey  cow,  Purity,  produced  1,012.2  Ibs.  milk 
from  which  was  made  54.8  Ibs.  butter,  and  gained  fourteen  pounds 
live  weight,  showing  a  net  profit  of  $19.37.  The  best  Short-horn 
cow,  Kittie  Clay  4th,  produced  1,592.8  Ibs.  milk,  from  which  was 
made  62.24  Ibs.  butter,  and  gained  twenty-eight  pounds  in  weight, 
showing  a  net  profit  of  $19.57.* 


*  One  of  the  cows  died  early  in  the  test,  so  that  but  twenty- four  head 
were  really  available.  The  list  (arranged  in  the  order  in  which  they 
ranked  at  the  conclusion  of  the  ninety-day  butter  test)  was  as  follows  : 

Nora  (Vol.  39),  bred  by  D.  Sheehan  &  Sons,  Iowa. 

Gene  vie  ve  (Vol.  36,  p.  860),  bred  by  W.  W.  Waltmire,  Kansas. 

Waterloo  Daisy  (Dominion  Herd  Book),  bred  by  D.  Reed,  Ontario. 

Betsy  7th  (Vol.  35,  p.  925),  bred  by  S.  Spencer  &  Son,  New  York. 

Bashful  2d  (Vol.  35,  p.  380),  bred  by  William  Duthie,  Scotland. 

Plumwood  Bell  2d  (Vol.  32,  p.  641),  bred  by  C.  Hintz,  Ohio. 

Fair  Maid  of  Hullett  2d  (Vol.  39),  bred  by  William  Grainger,  Ontario. 

Emma  Abbott  3d  (Vol.  39),  bred  by  I.  U.  Wetmore,  Illinois. 

Belle  Prince  2d  (Vol.  30,  p.  492),  bred  by  C.  M.  Clark,  Wisconsin. 

Rosa  (Vol.  36,  p.  714),  bred  by  J.  W.  Stewart,  Pennsylvania. 

Azalia  (Vol.  37,  p.  741),  bred  by  A.  Morse,  New  York. 

Lady  Bright  (Dominion  Herd  Book),  bred  by  J.  G.  Wright,  Ontario. 

Kitty  Clay  7th  (Vol.  38,  p.  671),  bred  by  Joseph  Garfield,  New  York. 

Marchioness  6th  (Dominion  Herd  Book),  bred  by  Ballantine  &  Son, 
Ontario. 

Lucy  Ann  (Vol.  35,  p.  925),  bred  by  H.  H.  Jones,  New  York. 

Maude's  Antarctic  (Vol.  30,  p.  793),  bred  by  W.  W.  Brim,  Ohio. 

Maid  of  Oxford  3d  (Vol.  32,  p.  790),  bred  by  A.  Morse. 

Iza  (Vol.  34,  p.  780),  bred  by  A.  Morse. 

Fancy  llth  (Vol.  39),  bred  by  J.  C.  Thornton  &  Son,  Pennsylvania. 

Royal  Duchess  (Dominion  Herd  Book),  bred  by  D.  Marlatt,  Ontario. 

Orange  Girl  (Vol.  37,  p.  713),  bred  by  E.  B.  Merri wether  &  Son,  Illinois. 

Butterfly  3d,  (Vol.  30,  p.  497),  bred  by  Hon.  Emory  Cobb,  Illinois. 

Maid  of  Oxford  2d  (Vol.  31,  p.  812),  bred  by  A.  Morse. 

Fillpail9th  (Vol.  37,  p.  872),  bred  by  S.  Spencer  &  Son. 

In  the  thirty-day  butter  test  the  privilege  of  bringing  in  othe*1  cows 
was  granted,  and  Kitty  Clays  3d  and  4th,  from  the  herd  of  Mr.  J.  K.  Innes 
Granville  Center,  Pa.,  materially  strengthened  the  Short-horn  forces 
From  the  Spencer  herd  came  Kitty  Clay  6th,  so  that  this  family  had  more 
representatives  in  the  test  than  any  other 


830         A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Test  number  four  was  for  heifers  under  three  years  old  for 
butter  making,  loss  and  gain  of  weight  and  cost  of  maintenance 
considered,  extending  from  Sept.  28  to  Oct.  4.  In  this  the  Guern- 
seys did  not  compete.  The  seven  Jersey  heifers  gave  3,356.6  Ibs. 
milk,  producing  194.22  Ibs.  butter  at  a  net  profit  of  $56.27,  gaining 
150  Ibs.  live  weight.  The  six  Short-horn  heifers  gave  2,581  Ibs. 
milk;  producing  122.36  Ibs.  butter,  at  a  net  profit  of  $47.42;  gain- 
ing 384  Ibs.  live  weight.  In  this  test  the  best  Jersey  heifer  made 
37.48  Ibs.  butter  and  gained  19  Ibs.  in  weight,  showing  a  net  profit 
of  $11.22.  The  Short-horn  heifer,  Miss  Renick  24th,  produced 
26.85  Ibs.  butter,  gained  in  live  weight  78  Ibs.  (nearly  4  Ibs.  per 
day),  at  a  net  profit  of  $10.97. 

In  tests  where  gain  in  live  weight  was  credited  the  price  per 
pound  was  made  uniform  in  each  case,  although  it  need  scarcely 
be  pointed  out  that  the  Short-horn  beef  represented  by  this  gain 
would  have  commanded  more  per  pound  in  the  market  than  that  of 
their  competitors.  It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  in  tests  numbers 
two,  three  and  four  the  three  best  Short-horn  cows,  Nora,  Kittie 
Clay  4th  and  Miss  Renick  24th,  produced  5,861  Ibs.  of  milk,  against 
5,330  Ibs.  of  milk  from  the  best  three  Jerseys  in  same  tests. 

The  Wiscon«tn  experiment, — The  Wiscon- 
sin Agricultural  Experiment  Station  has  un- 
dertaken a  study  of  the  relative  capacity  of 
cows  representing  the  special  dairy  type  and 
those  of  the  dual-purpose  character.  The  Hon. 
W.  D.  Hoard,  H.  C.  Taylor  and  C.  P.  Goodrich, 
than  whom  there  are  probably  no  better  judges 
of  special  dairy  stock,  each  selected  a  grade 
Jersey  for  this  test.  Six  grade  Short-horns,  a 
like  number  of  grade  Guernseys  and  three  more 
grade  Jerseys  were  bought  by  Prof.  W.  L.  Car- 
lyle,  whose  object  in  making  the  test  is  set 
forth  in  the  following  language: 

It  has  been  generally  admitted  by  those  with  experience  on 
the  subject  that  under  present  conditions  it  will  never  be  profit- 
able for  the  farmers  of  Wisconsin  to  engage  to  any  great  extent  in 
rearing  a  class  of  "beefing"  cattle,  the  cows  of  which  give  only 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED.  831 

sufficient  milk  to  rear  their  young.  The  great  cattle  ranges  of 
the  West  are  too  near,  and  the  competition  too  unequal  to  permit 
of  our  farmers  embarking  in  exclusive  beef  raising  to  any  great 
extent.  On  the  other  hand,  the  majority  of  our  farmers  are  ap- 
parently not  desirous  of  keeping  the  so-called  special-purpose 
dairy  cattle.  They  would  like  to  keep  a  class  of  cattle,  if  such 
could  be  obtained,  that  would  give  a  sufficiently  large  quantity  of 
milk  and  butter- fat  to  return  a  fair  profit  on  the  feed  and  care 
given  them,  and  at  the  same  time  produce  steers  that  would  feed 
well  for  beef. 

The  first  year's  work  with  this  set  of  cows 
closed  with  the  grade  Short-horn  Rose  estab- 
lished as  the  greatest  producer  in  the  herd; 
returning  the  greatest  profit  over  cost  of  feed, 
although  milked  only  326  days  out  of  the  365. 
During  that  time  she  produced  10,163  Ibs.  of 
milk,  containing  433.82  Ibs.  of  butter-fat,  the 
equivalent  of  506.12  Ibs.  of  butter.  The  average 
amount  of  fat  in  her  milk  for  the  year  was  4.2 
per  cent.  The  total  feed  consumed  during  the 
entire  year  cost  $35.06.  The  total  value  of  the 
butter  and  skim -milk  produced  was  $114.92, 
leaving  a  profit  over  cost  of  feed  of  $79.86.  Her 
butter,  produced  at  a  cost  of  6.9  cents,  was 
made  more  economically  than  that  from  any 
special-purpose  cow  in  the  herd.  The  second 
best  result  was  obtained  from  one  of  the  Guern- 
sey grades,  showing  a  profit  of  $68.04,  but  the 
third  best  record  in  the  herd  was  made  by  the 
grade  Short-horn  cow  Duchess,  that  produced 
439.83  Ibs.  of  butter  at  a  net  profit  of  $67.07. 
Speaking  of  this  first  year's  experiment  Prof. 
Carlyle  says: 


832        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  results  of  this  year's  work  were  a 
great  surprise,  for  while  it  was  thought  that  the  large  and  strong 
Short-horn  grades  representing  the  dual-purpose  type,  would  re- 
turn a  fair  profit  on  the  feed  consumed,  it  was  not  even  surmised 
that  they  would  equal  their  much  more  finely  organized  and 
smaller  sisters — the  Jersey  and  Guernsey  grades — in  cheapness 
of  butter  production.  This  yearly  record  is  given  as  a  preliminary 
work,  and  is  not  to  be  considered  as  at  all  conclusive  and  yet 
when  five  such  Short-horn  grade  cows  as  are  here  reported  can 
be  picked  up  in  a  single  day,  as  was  the  case  with  these,  it  would 
seem  as  if  that  class  of  cows  must  have  a  great  deal  of  dairy  value. 

This  Wisconsin  test,  which  is  developing 
many  surprises  for  those  who  have  so  strenu- 
ously denied  the  existence  of  a  profitable  dual- 
purpose  cow  is  still  in  progress,  and  we  have  it 
on  the  best  authority  that  the  data  which  will 
be  forthcoming  in  the  report  of  the  second 
year's  experiment  will  be  even  more  interest- 
ing to  the  breeders  of  Short-horns  than  that 
from  which  we  have  quoted  above. 

Official  records  in  Iowa. — The  proofs  being 
supplied  at  the  Wisconsin  Station  are  well  sup- 
plemented by  late  figures  from  the  Iowa  Agri- 
cultural Experiment  Station  at  Ames,  where 
special  attention  is  also  being  given  to  the  sub- 
ject of  the  dairy  capacity  of  Short-horn  cows. 
Director  C.  F.  Curtiss  has  furnished  us  with 
photographs  of  the  two  cows  College  Moore  and 
College  Belle  2d  (illustrated  in  this  volume), 
both  descending  in  the  maternal  line  from  imp. 
Young  Mary.  College  Belle  2d  has  produced 
7,554  Ibs.  of  milk  in  ten  months,  with  an  aver- 
age of  4.3  per  cent  fat,  from  which  was  pro- 


COLLEGE  MOORE.      . 
Produced  409  Ibs.  of  butter  in  12  months. 


COLLEGE  BELLE  2o. 

Produced  355.1  Ibs.  bu'ter  in  12  months. 

DUAL-PURPOSE  Cows  AT  IOWA  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE. 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE    BREED.  833 

duced  355.1  Ibs.  butter;  the  net  profit  (not  in- 
cluding her  calf)  being  $41.42.  The  roan  Col- 
lege Moore  has  produced  8,734.5  Ibs.  milk  in 
twelve  months,  showing  an  average  test  of  4.02 
per  cent  fat,  with  a  butter  production  of  409 
Ibs.,  yielding  a  net  profit,  not  including  calf,  of 
$37.57.  These  and  other  of  the  Iowa  College 
cows  are  producing  and  rearing  some  very  fine 
calves  sired  by  the  Scotch  bull  Courtier  125603, 
bred  by  C.  C.  Norton,  Corning,  la.,  and  sired  by 
Prince  Bishop  67273  out  of  Sweet  Charity  4th 
by  imp.  Salamis  110075.  Prof.  Curtiss  of  this 
station,  who  ranks  as  one  of  the  best  all-around 
judges  of  live  stock  in  the  West  at  the  present 
time,  personally  selected  in  Scotland  during  the 
summer  of  1899,  at  Mr.  Duthie's,  the  valuable 
young  bull  Scotland's  Crown,  recently  added  to 
the  college  herd.  He  states  that  some  of  the 
younger  cows  in  the  herd  bid  fair  to  excel  the 
performances  of  the  two  above  mentioned. 

Figures  from  New  York.— The  thirteenth 
annual  report  of  the  New  York  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station  for  the  year  1894  contains 
an  interesting  account  of  similar  experiments 
at  Geneva.  Seven  different  breeds  were  repre- 
sented, and  although  there  was  but  one  Short- 
horn cow  in  the  herd  (Spencer's  Betsy  10th), 
yet  when  pitted  against  special  dairy  breeds 
she  gave  a  good  account  of  herself,  as  appears 
from  the  subjoined  summary: 


834         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

The  Short-horn  stood  at  the  head  of  the  list  in  the  matter  of 
relative  cost  of  milk  solids  obtained,  and  stood  second  in  the  com- 
putation showing  relative  actual  profit  from  milk.  She  was  third 
in  relative  amount  of  milk  produced. 

In  butter  production  the  Short-horn  ranked  third  with  a  total 
of  305.1  Ibs. ;  the  highest  yield  being  325.6  from  the  Guernseys.* 

The  Short-horn  cow  was  fourth  in  rank  in  the  matter  of  the 
amount  of  butter  obtained  from  each  100  Ibs.  of  milk ;  the  figure  in 
her  case  standing  at  5.04  as  against  6.4  from  the  Jerseys. 

From  the  Short-horn's  milk  an  average  of  1  Ib.  of  butter 
was  made  from  each  19.84  Ibs.,  as  against  34.7  required  in  the  case 
of  the  Ayrshires  and  26.6  Ibs.  in  the  case  of  the  Holstein-Friesians. 

The  Short-horn  was  third  in  the  matter  of  the  average  cost  of 
milk  fat  per  pound  produced ;  this  expense  being  in  the  case  of  the 
Jerseys  16.12  cents,  Guernseys  16.14  cents,  Short-horn  16.18  cents; 
the  other  breeds  ranging  from  19.06  to  20.47  cents. 

The  average  cost  per  pound  of  the  Short-horn  butter  was  15.15 
as  against  14.11  for  the  Jerseys  and  14.15  for  the  Guernseys;  the 
Short-horn  ranking  third. 

In  the  matter  of  the  average  profit  derived  per  cow  from  selling 
butter  the  Short-horn  was  again  third,  with  a  credit  of  $30.06  for 
one  period  of  lactation ;  figures  for  other  breeds  ranging  from 
$14.58  to  $35.25. 

In  the  amount  of  cream  produced  the  Short-horn  was  third, 
with  1,345  Ibs.  from  one  period  of  lactation;  the  range  of  all  the 
breeds  being  from  916.5  for  the  lowest  to  1,427.5  for  the  highest.  In 
the  item  of  average  cost  of  cream  per  quart  the  Short-horn  stood 
next  to  the  Jerseys  and  Guernseys;  also  ranking  third  in  the 
average  money  value  of  cream  produced. 

In  cheese  production  the  Short-horn  ranked  first  in  the  item  of 
profit,  showing  the  lowest  relative  cost  of  production  per  pound. 

It  was  claimed  that  the  Short-horn  was  pro- 
ducing a  calf  each  year  worth  $5  more  than 
that  from  any  other  cow  in  the  test. 

The   milking  Short-horn  is  in  evidence  in 

*In  his  valuable  work,  "American  Dairying."  published  by  the  Sanders 
Publishing  Company,  Mr.  H.  B.  Gurler,  DeKalb,  111.,  gives  the  average 
annual  butter  production  of  the  16,600,000  cows  in  the  United  States  at  130 
Ibs.  Dairy  cows  to  show  profit  must  produce  upward  of  iOO  Ibs.  butter 
per  year.  Upon  this  basis  it  will  be  observed  that  this  New  York,  as  well 
as  other  official  tests,  prove  the  Short-horn's  right  to  be  classed  among 
those  that  can  be  profitably  handled  for  dairy  purposes. 


Q 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE   BREED.  835 

nearly  every  Northern  State.  Hundreds  of 
private  tests  might  be  presented  in  substantia- 
tion of  that  statement;  but  the  following  will 
serve  as  fair  illustrations  of  the  results  being 
obtained  by  practical  farmers  and  dairymen: 

Mrs.  Flora  V.  Spencer,  formerly  of  New  York  but  now  of  Pennsylvania, 
whose  herd  supplied  more  cows  for  the  Columbian  dairy  test  than  came 
from  any  other  one  source,  furnishes  the  following  record  of  Short-horn 
cows  which  she  has  owned  : 

Kittle  Clyde  (Vol.  13),  13,200  Ibs.  milk  In  eight  months;  660  Ibs.  of  milk 
In  ten  days,  from  which  was  made  33  Ibs.  of  butter.  Her  dam,  Fillpall, 
gave  60  Ibs.  of  milk  per  day.  Kittle  Clay  2d  produced  69  Ibs.  of  milk  in  one 
day.  Cherry  llth  produced  61  Ibs.  of  milk  per  day. 

Lucy  Ann  (Vol.  35)  gave  8,948^  Ibs.  of  milk  in  forty-seven  weeks,  from 
which  was  made  425.14  Ibs.  butter.  In  seven  days  she  gave  280  Ibs.  8  oz.  of 
milk,  which  produced  13.32  Ibs.  butter.  Betsey  8th  (Vol.  3T)  made  14.T2  Ibs. 
butter  in  seven  days. 

Fillpail  16th,  with  her  first  calf,  gave  In  a  year  6,056  Ibs.  8  oz.  of  milk, 
from  which  was  made  305.07  Ibs.  of  butter.  Mrs.  Spencer  states  that  for 
seven  years  she  has  not  had  a  matured  cow  with  a  smaller  record  than 
39^  Ibs.  milk  per  day,  and  the  herd  for  three  years  averaged  4  per  cent 
butter- fat  by  the  Babcock  test.  The  cow  Betsey  of  this  herd  made  a  pound 
of  cheese  in  the  Columbian  dairy  test  cheaper  than  any  other  cow  of  any 
breed. 


Mr.  J.  K.  Innes.  the  enterprising  proprietor  of  Glenside  Farm,  Granville 
Center,  Pa.,  owner  of  the  famous  Columbian  test  cow  Kittle  Clay  4th,  sup- 
plies the  following  : 

Luvia  Clay,  a  daughter  of  Kittle  Clay  3d,  gave  from  May  19,  1895,  to 
April  6,  1896,  7,278.8  Ibs.  milk,  which  made  337  Ibs.  butter.  This  was  with 
her  first  calf.  The  next  season  she  gave  in  seven  days  308  Ibs.  of  milk, 
which  made  13.85  Ibs.  butter. 

Mamie  Clay,  daughter  of  Kittle  Clay  4th,  gave  from  June  1  to  June  30, 
1898,  1,175  Ibs.  milk,  that  carried  an  average  of  3.9  per  cent  butter- fat,  after 
having  been  in  milk  something  over  four  months. 

Nancy  Lee  gave  during  the  month  of  June,  1898,  1,230  Ibs.  milk  that 
tested  an  average  of  4  per  cent  butter-fat,  having  been  in  milk  since  Feb. 
27, 1898. 

Kittle  Clover,  a  daughter  of  Kittle  Clay  4th,  gave  during  seven  days  in 
1897,  266.7  Ibs.  milk,  carrying  an  average  of  4.1  per  cent  butter-fat.  This 
was  in  her  three-year-old  form. 

Margaretta  Clay,  granddaughter  of  Kittle  Clay  3d,  gave  in  thirty  days 
746  Ibs.  milk  that  tested  an  average  of  4.2  per  cent.  This  was  with  her  first 
calf,  and  she  had  been  in  milk  more  than  ten  months,  calving  about  eight 
weeks  after  the  test  was  made. 

Betsy  8th  gave  during  the  month  of  June,  1899,  1,429  Ibs.  milk,  with  an 
average  test  of  3.7  per  cent,  having  been  in  milk  since  March  20.  May- 
flower, a  daughter  of  Roan  Clay  4th,  has  given  this  year  in  fourteen  days 
610.3  Ibs.  milk,  with  an  average  test  of  4  per  cent  butter- fat.  Kittle  Sweet 


836        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

produced  in  fourteen  days  420.8  Ibs.  milk,  testing  3.9  per  cent  butter-fat. 
This  in  her  two-year-old  form  with  first  calf. 

Superintendent  May  of  Glenside  says  :  "  These  tests  were  made  with- 
out any  special  preparation,  the  cows  receiving1  the  usual  care  and  feea 
given  the  entire  herd.  We  are  now  weighing-  the  product  and  testing  every 
cow  in  the  herd  for  an  entire  year,  so  that  we  shall  soon  have  some  twelve 
months'  records  to  present." 


John  Armstrong  of  Kingsbury  Co.,  S.  D.,  reports  that  in  1898  his  sixteen 
grade  Short-horn  cows  averaged  6,000  Ibs.  of  milk,  from  which  was  made 
an  average  of  301  Ibs.  5  oz.  of  butter.  Counting  stock  sold  and  pork  pro- 
duced on  skim-milk  the  net  income  per  cow  was  $62.50.  For  1899  the  same 
number  of  cows  produced  101,471  Ibs.  miik,  which  yielded  5,077  Ibs.  of  but- 
ter, an  average  of  6,342  Ibs.  of  milk  and  317  Ibs.  5  oz.  of  butter  per  cow.  He 
figures  that  these  cows  made  him  during  the  twelve  months  $76.47  net. 


C.  M.  Clark  of  Walworth  Co.,  Wis.,  reports  that  during  the  month  of 
December,  1898,  his  thirteen  Short-horn  cows  and  eight  two  and  three-year- 
old  heifers  produced  14,218  Ibs.  of  mi]k;  making  an  average  of  33^  Ibs.  but- 
ter per  head  for  the  month,  which,  for  a  winter  production,  indicates  prof- 
itable dairy  capacity.  The  best  of  the  bull  calves  raised  by  such  cows  are 
sold  at  good  prices  for  breeding  purposes.  The  poorer  ones  are  steered, 
and  Mr.  Clark  reports  that  his  last  lot  of  bullocks  averaged  1,200  Ibs.  at 
about  twenty- four  months  old,  and  are  worth  six  cents  per  pound.  Mr. 
Clark's  cattle  descend  mainly  from  the  Bates  tribes,  although  he  has  re- 
cently been  using  a  Scotch-topped  Rose  of  Sharon  bull. 

Polled  Durhams.— The  recent  establishment 
in  the  West  of  the  type  of  cattle  known  as 
"Polled  Durhams"  is  a  matter  of  interest  to  all 
breeders  of  Short-horns.  There  are  two  varie- 
ties of  Polled  Durhams — one  of  pure  Short-horn 
descent  and  the  other  tracing  to  the  native 
"muley"  cows  of  the  country  crossed  origi- 
nally with  registered  Short-horn  bulls.  The 
pure-bred  Short-horns  that  have  had  the  polled 
characteristic  sufficiently  established  to  admit 
them  to  the  Polled  Durham  Herd  Book  are 
classed  as  " double-standard"  cattle,  being  eli- 
gible to  both  the  Short-horn  and  Polled  Dur- 
ham registries.  A  large  proportion  of  these 


A   DUAL-PURPOSE    BREED.  837 

descend  from  the  Gwynne  cow  Oak  wood 
Gwynne  4th,  the  Young  Phyllis  cow  Mary  Lou- 
den and  the  White  Rose  bull  Young  Hamilton 
114169.  Oakwood  Gwynne  4th  had  loose  horns 
or  "scurs,"  and  when  bred  to  the  7th  Duke  of 
Hillhurst  34221  dropped  a  pair  of  hornless  roan 
heifer  calves,  known  as  Nellie  Gwynne  and 
Mollie  Gwynne.  (See  Vol.  XXXIII,  page  728.) 
Bred  to  Bright  Eyes  Duke  8th  31894  she 
dropped  the  hornless  red  bull  King  of  Kine 
87412.  The  twin  heifers  were  bred  by  C.  McC. 
Reeve  and  the  hornless  bull  by  W.  W.  McNair, 
both  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.  Mr.  W.  S.  Miller 
of  Ohio,  who  had  been  endeavoring  to  develop 
a  type  of  polled  cattle  showing  Short-horn 
characteristics,  bought  these  Gwynnes  and 
made  use  of  them  in  his  breeding  operations. 
The  bull  Young  Hamilton  above  mentioned, 
that  won  the  championship  over  all  bulls  com- 
peting in  the  "general-purpose"  class  at  the 
Columbian  Exposition,  possessed  great  scale 
and  his  blood  has  been  freely  used. 

Some  of  the  leading  Polled  Durham  breeders 
are  now  crossing  their  cows  with  well-bred 
Scotch  Short-horn  bulls.  As  a  rule  stock  of 
this  type  possesses  good  size,  and  the  cows 
are  often  heavy  milkers.  They  represent  the 
dual-purpose  idea,  and  the  absence  of  horns  is 
counted  a  distinct  advantage.  That  the  breed 
owes  its  merit  wholly  to  the  Short-horn  is 


838        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

freely  admitted,  and  its  success  simply  consti- 
tutes another  tribute  to  the  efficacy  of  that 
blood.  The  Polled  Durham  breeders  have 
maintained  a  National  organization  since  1889. 
Under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  William  W.  Crane, 
Tippecanoe  City,  0.,  this  has  developed  into  an 
influential  association.  Its  Secretary,  Mr.  J.  H. 
Miller,  Peru,  Ind.,  is  one  of  the  most  enthusi- 
astic supporters  of  Polled  Durham  claims,  and 
has  made  sales  for  export  to  South  America. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 


THE  LAMP  OF  EXPERIENCE. 

We  have  now  traced  the  growth  of  the  breed 
from  an  humble  beginning  in  ancient  North- 
umbria  to  a  place  of  imperial  power  in  the 
cattle  trade  of  the  civilized  world.  For  nearly 
a  century  it  has  existed  as  an  improved  and 
well-established  type.  During  that  time  it  has 
felt  the  impress  of  men  of  undoubted  genius 
and  intellectual  force.  It  has  also  endured  the 
blundering  of  those  who  had  ability  only  as 
destroyers  of  what  others  had  created.  Two 
opposing  forces  are  constantly  at  work.  The 
one  constructive,  the  other  subversive  of  all 
progress;  the  one  animated  by  a  lofty  ambition 
to  accomplish  something  for  the  uplifting  of 
the  breed,  the  other  moved  only  by  sordid  con- 
sideration of  present  profit. 

At  the  outset  every  man  who  enters  the  fra- 
ternity that  boasts  so  many  illustrious  names 
should  ponder  well  the  real  meaning  of  the 
word  breeder  and  endeavor  to  equip  himself 
thoroughly  for  the  intelligent  manipulation  of 
the  plastic  material  with  which  he  proposes  to 
work.  Is  he  to  make  an  honest  effort  to  emu- 

(839) 


840        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

late  the  example  of  the  master  builders  of  the 
breed,  or  is  he  to  drift  aimlessly  upon  the  tide 
of  some  passing  fashion,  content  to  be  a  mere 
peddler  of  pedigrees?  Is  Short-horn  breeding 
a  business  worthy  of  the  best  efforts  of  intell- 
gent  men,  or  is  it  simply  a  traffic  in  herd-book 
certificates?  Is  there  inspiration  and  a  love 
for  original  creative  work  to  be  found  in  the 
great  achievements  of  the  past,  or  are  there 
only  chains  and  shackles  for  those  who  engage 
in  the  trade  in  this  day  and  generation  ?  The 
closing  century  is  not  without  its  lessons  bear- 
ing upon  these  and  kindred  considerations,  and 
a  few  plainly  stated  deductions  from  the  ex- 
periences of  those  who  have  gone  before  may 
be  found  helpful  in  examining  the  duties,  re- 
sponsibilities and  privileges  of  those  who  have 
the  future  of  the  Short-horn  in  their  keeping. 
What  constitutes  success? — It  might  ap- 
pear at  first  blush  that  the  auction  block  is  the 
one  crucial  test  of  success,  but  this  is  true  only 
when  averages  for  a  long  series  of  years  are 
considered.  The  operations  of  powerful  vested 
financial  interests  occasionally  rule  the  mar- 
ket without  special  reference  to  intrinsic  values. 
Again  many  a  splendid  animal,  many  a  grand 
herd  has  failed  to  meet  with  adequate  appre- 
ciation because  of  lack  of  enterprise  on  the 
part  of  the  owner,  or  through  the  machinations 
of  those  little  souls  who  are  either  jealous  of  a 


THE   LAMP   OF   EXPERIENCE.  841 

contemporary's  success,  or  interested  from  sel- 
fish motives  in  decrying  the  blood  which  his 
neighbor  has  used.  The  Short-horn  trade  has 
suffered  incalculable  damage  from  individuals 
whose  devotion  to  purely  commercial  consider- 
ations was  greater  than  their  love  for  good 
Short-horns.  Frequently  they  knew  little  and 
cared  less  about  the  individual  merit  of  the 
breed.  A  man  possesses  certain  blood  which 
he  insists  is  "bluer"  than  that  flowing  in  the 
veins  of  other  Short-horns,  and  even  while 
loudest  in  his  claims  of  superiority  it  often  hap- 
pens that  the  unfortunate  animals  in  such  mer- 
cenary hands  are  descending  to  the  lowest  lev- 
els of  mediocrity  from  sheer  neglect  of  the  first 
principles  of  good  breeding  and  management. 
Some  years  ago  a  few  misguided  individuals 
undertook  to  "run  a  corner"  on  such  repre- 
sentatives as  were  then  in  existence  of  certain 
so-called  "  pure  "  tribes.  They  made  a  pretense 
of  insisting  that  these  few  animals  were  the 
real  "salt"  of  the  Short-horn  earth,  and,  as 
such,  valuable  beyond  compare.  It  mattered 
not  that  the  originator  of  those  very  families 
had  himself  inbred  his  stock  to  the  limit  of 
safety  before  he  died,  and  that  he  would  doubt- 
less have  been  the  first  to  protest  against  the 
absurdity  of  the  present  procedure.  Neverthe- 
less, people  interested  themselves  in  the  pro- 
ject as  a  speculation.  One  Western  operator 


842        A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

collected  all  of  these  "absolutelys"  he  could 
secure;  the  result  of  the  venture  being  that 
within  two  years  he  was  forced  to  destroy  the 
calves  as  fast  as  the  wretched  degenerates  came 
into  the  world,  and  the  sires  and  dams,  with  con- 
stitutions ruined  beyond  repair,  soon  followed 
their  progeny  to  the  shambles.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  say  that  such  an  undertaking  con- 
sidered as  a  proposition  in  scientific  breeding 
was  fore-doomed  to  failure-,  and  yet  in  the  face 
of  this  and  other  examples  of  the  impossibility 
of  maintaining  inbred  strains  indefinitely;  with- 
out admixture  of  other  blood,  men  are  still 
found  willing  for  the  sake  of  possible  financial 
profit  to  repeat,  in  this  respect,  the  follies  of 
the  past.  There  are  cases  on  record  where  ped- 
igree speculators,  who  have  closed  out  their  in- 
terests in  time,  have  gained  some  financial  ad- 
vantage, but  such  men  were  not  breeders  within 
the  real  meaning  of  the  term. 

He  only  has  made  a  genuine  success  of  Short- 
horn breeding  who  maintains  or  improves  upon 
the  character  of  the  animals  received  from 
other  hands. 

In-breeding. — This  is  a  two-edged  sword.  In 
the  hands  of  men  who  were  adepts  in  its  appli- 
cation it  brought  about  some  of  the  great- 
est successes  known  in  Short-horn  history.  By 
concentration  of  the  blood  of  favorite  animals 
the  distinctive  types  that  have  so  largely  domi- 


THE    LAMP   OF   EXPERIENCE.  843 

nated  the  trade  have  been  created.  On  the 
other  hand,  over-indulgence  in  the  practice  has 
proved  the  destruction  of  more  than  one  family 
of  great  original  merit.  Dealing  with  raw  ma- 
terials, as  it  were,  the  pioneer  breeders  were 
able  to  reap  the  highest  possible  measure  of 
benefit  from  an  appeal  to  the  Bakewell  prac- 
tice, but  a  century  of  breeding  within  herd- 
book  lines  has  brought  the  Short-horns  of  the 
present  in  such  close  relationships  that  what 
was  wise  procedure  in  the  early  days  would 
now  be  the  height  of  folly.  What  was  once 
heterogeneous  in  its  composition  has  by  the 
operation  of  the  pedigree  registry  system  been 
rendered  homogeneous. 

The  fact  that  close  breeding  proved  effective 
many  years  ago  in  the  hands  of  a  few  men  of 
rare  capacity  affords  no  justification  whatever 
for  continued  in-and-in  breeding  by  their  suc- 
cessors. Efforts  have  been  made  to  enforce,  as 
a  test  of  loyalty  to  some  of  these  great  breeders 
of  other  days,  opposition  to  the  idea  of  resort- 
ing in  any  shape,  form  or  manner  to  fresh 
blood  for  the  rejuvenation  of  cattle  so  de- 
scended. It  must  be  apparent  to  even  the 
dullest  comprehension  that  this  proposition  is 
not  only  illogical  on  its  face,  but  is  really  the 
most  effective  of  all  methods  of  destroying  the 
good  work  done  by  those  who  bequeathed  stock 
that  had  already  been  subjected  to  the  severe 


844         A   HISTORY   OF  SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

test  of  long-continued  blood  concentration. 
The  Bates  cattle  in  particular  suffered  exten- 
sively from  the  operations  of  those  who  re- 
sisted the  idea  of  fresh  crosses.  Messrs.  War- 
field,  Renick,  Alexander,  the  Bedfords  and 
others  obtained  results  outside  of  the  "  straight " 
Bates  line  that  surpassed  the  accomplishments 
of  such  of  their  contemporaries  as  adhered 
strictly  to  the  "line."  An  unwillingness  to 
infuse  other  blood  into  the  old  Killerby  and 
Warlaby  strains  did  not  contribute  to  the 
physical  welfare  of  the  cattle  of  Booth  descent, 
and  at  the  Torr  dispersion  the  outcrossed 
strains  were  gladly  bought  at  high  prices  to 
revive  the  glories  of  the  earlier  days.* 

Examining  the  record  down  to  the  present 
day  we  find  a  tendency  to  repeat  the  errors  of 
former  years  in  the  case  of  the  families  created 
by  Amos  Cruickshank.  In  view  of  the  fact  that 
this  careful  breeder  freely  conceded  the  desira- 
bility of  an  outcross  on  his  cattle  prior  to  the 
sale  of  his  herd,  the  contention  of  those  who 
are  now  insisting  upon  maintaining  the  "pur- 
ity" of  the  Sittyton  families  finds  no  adequate 
basis  in  reason  or  experience.  James  I.  David- 
son, who  was  for  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Cruick- 
shank's  representative  in  America,  demon- 

*In  this  connection  it  may  be  said  that  the  major  part  of  the  Booth  herd 
was  sold  at  auction  a  few  years  since  by  Mr.  William  Booth,  executor  of  the 
estate  of  his  brother,  the  late  T.  C.  Booth.  The  herd  is  again  being  revived 
by  Mr.  Richard  Booth,  son  of  T.  C.,  and  Short-horns  may  still  be  seen  in  the 
fine  old  pastures  at  Warlaby 


THE   LAMP   OF   EXPERIENCE.  845 

strated  what  could  be  done  by  the  right  kind 
of  an  outcross  when  he  introduced  the  blood  of 
Crown  Prince  of  Athelstane  2d.  Messrs.  Potts 
added  to  the  vitality,  as  shown  by  increased 
fertility,  of  one  branch  of  the  Sittyton  Laven- 
ders, by  the  use  of  a  bull  blending  the  blood  of 
imp.  Duke  of  Richmond  with  a  Young  Mary 
foundation.  At  Linwood  Col.  Harris  was  mak- 
ing substantial  progress  at  the  time  he  gave  up 
breeding  by  the  use  of  the  Golden  Drop  and 
Princess  Alice  blood.  Evidence  is  to  be  had 
from  the  operations  of  Mr.  James  J.  Hill,  the 
late  Col.  T.  S.  Moberley  and  others,  going  to 
show  that  a  judicious  intermingling  of  the 
blood  of  other  good  Short-horns  with  that  of 
the  Scotch-bred  stock  will  prove  in  the  future 
fruitful  of  better  results  than  are  promised  by 
a  too  rigid  adherance  to  the  prevailing  fashion- 
able line. 

Touching  this  point  the  Hon.  John  Dryden, 
one  of  the  earliest  and  best  friends  of  the  Sit- 
tyton cattle  in  America,  says: 

For  those  who  are  interested  in  Cruickshank  cattle  to  go  on 
blindly  following  pedigree  as  the  most  prominent  thing  in  connec- 
tion with  the  breeding  of  these  cattle  means,  in  my  judgment, 
certain  ruin.  We  have  seen  this  tried  in  several  breeds  of  cattle 
and  horses  before,  and  I  know  how  much  evil  it  has  worked. 
Whatever  others  may  say,  I  know  definitely  that  Mr.  Cruick 
shank's  own  ideas  were  entirely  contrary  to  that  view.  It  would 
have  been  of  great  advantage  to  those  of  us  following  in  his  foot- 
steps to  have  had  the  crosses  made  by  himself ;  they  would  then 
have  been  accepted  without  question  as  the  result  of  sound  judg- 
ment. 


846         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

My  opinion  is  that  Mr.  Cruickshank  was  right  when  he  de- 
cided that  violent  crosses  on  his  cattle  should  be  avoided.  What 
I  mean  by  that  is  to  take  an  exactly  opposite  type  or  style  of  pedi- 
gree, the  result  of  which  is  not  ordinarily  uniform  mixing.  Mr. 
Cruickshank's  theory  was  that  to  keep  up  the  robustness  of  his 
cattle  and  to  give  them  additional  strength  of  character  an  occa- 
sional cow  of  somewhat  different  breeding  should  be  used  upon 
which  to  cross  one  of  his  own  bulls  with  the  view  of  securing  a 
bull  of  somewhat  different  blood.  If  such  outcross  is  to  be  re- 
sorted to  it  should  not  be  one  of  mere  pedigree,  but  the  animal 
chosen  should  be  sound  and  of  robust  constitution  and  having  sim- 
ilar characteristics  to  the  Cruickshank  cattle  as  developed  by 
their  former  proprietor.  Further,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that 
Mr.  Cruickshank's  idea  was  not  to  produce  fine-looking  animals 
when  they  were  matured  at  from  four  to  six  years  of  age,  but  to 
produce  such  animals  as  would  mature  if  necessary  at  from  one  to 
two  and  a  half  years.  I  notice  that  a  good  many  show  animals 
which  are  talked  about  a  great  deal  belong  to  the  former  class, 
and  while  they  are  fine  animals  when  at  their  maturity,  they  do 
not  at  all  possess  the  characteristics  that  Mr.  Cruickshank  sought 
in  his  herd. 

We  have  at  the  present  day  altogether  too  many  imitators 
among  breeders  of  cattle.  It  seems  to  be  the  proper  thing  to  pur- 
sue the  principle  that  is  followed  in  a  millinery  shop,  and  every- 
body tries  to  follow  in  the  same  line.  They  do  not  all  succeed, 
but  because  this  color  or  that  or  this  form  or  the  other  is  fashion- 
able nothing  else  will  do  on  any  account.  Now  it  is  a  very  easy 
thing  to  follow  fashion  in  pedigree,  but  a  confessedly  difficult 
thing  to  do  what  all  the  great  cattle-breeders  of  the  past  have 
done,  and  produce  not  merely  a  pedigree  but  animals  having 
special  characteristics  and  the  power  to  give  these  to  their  de- 
scendants. 

Mr.  Cruickshank  never  followed  fashion  either  in  pedigree  or 
upon  any  other  point,  but  had  his  own  sound  common  sense  to 
guide  him.  He  knew  what  he  wanted  and  he  knew  it  when  he 
saw  it,  the  result  being  that  when  he  found  among  his  own  calves 
the  bull  Champion  of  England  he  said  to  himself,  without  con- 
sulting anyone  else,  "That  is  what  I  am  seeking  for,  and  I  shall 
at  once  be  bold  enough  to  use  him."  We  all  know  the  result.  If 
his  brother,  who  was  always  inclined  to  follow  fashion,  had  been 
consulted  Champion  of  England  would  never  have  been  used, 
and  Mr.  E.  Cruickshank  has  often  told  me  that  if  Amos  had  fol- 
lowed his  own  judgment  on  previous  occasions  he  would  have 


THE    LAMP   OF    EXPERIENCE.  847 

used  one  or  two  bulls  at  an  earlier  date  which  would  likely  have 
accomplished  equally  good  results.  The  same  thing  may  be  said 
of  Bates  and  Booth.  They  followed  their  own  judgment  until  we 
find  that  all  the  world  decided  subsequently  that  their  judgment 
was  right  and  they  became  leaders  of  fashion. 

Those  who  notice  the  cattle  sales  of  Great  Britain  will 'have 
observed  that  most  breeders  there  have  judgments  of  their  own. 
I  have  often  referred  to  this  point  in  this  country  before  and 
have  suggested  that  it  would  be  a  great  blessing  for  our  country 
generally  if  our  breeders  had  more  definite  convictions  of  their 
own,  with  definite  ideas  of  what  they  wanted  to  accomplish,  and 
worked  along  that  line. 

My  opinion  therefore  is  that  if  our  Cruickshank  breeders  un- 
dertake to  follow  pedigree  merely  and  stick  to  the  color  craze  of 
red,  the  cattle  are  doomed ;  it  is  only  a  matter  of  time,  and  I  con- 
gratulate you  upon  the  stand  you  have  taken  in  this  matter- 
These  little  points  as  to  the  shape  of  the  horn  and  the  exact  color 
of  the  skin  are  really  of  no  consequence  when  it  comes  to  the  use- 
ful qualities  of  the  animal.  We  all  like  to  see  these  things  and 
they  give  added  value  to  an  animal,  but  a  good  animal  should  not 
be  thrown  away  simply  because  one  horn  turns  a  little  too  much 
back,  or  otherwise. 

As  to  the  present  situation  in  England  in 
reference  to  the  Scotch  cross,  the  following  let- 
ter to  the  author  from  one  of  Britain's  oldest 
and  most  conservative  students  of  Short-horn 
breeding,  Mr.  William  Housman  of  Prospect 
House,  Distington,  Cumberland,  sounds  a  note 
that  is  worth  heeding : 

Our  breeders,  as  you  must  have  observed,  are  very  much  at 
variance  in  opinion  upon  the  Scotch  cross  question.  I  think 
myself  the  term  "  Cruickshank  blood,"  as  commonly  used,  is  too 
narrow  and  too  shallow,  neither  stretching  far  enough  to  comprise 
the  useful  Scotch  strains  from  outside  Sittyton  sources  nor  going 
deep  enough  to  include  old  Scotch  blood  derived  from  herds  long 
extinct,  yet  still  in  various  measures  influential.  Yet  Cruick- 
shank is  justly  regarded  as  a  great  name  in  Short-horn  history. 

For  all  that  I  do  not  care  for  the  heavings  of  the  crowd  to  and 
fro.  "  Booms,"  you  in  America  call  the  din  raised  one  day  about 


848         A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

this  blood,  another  day  about  that.  There  is  a  bad  want  of 
sobriety  and  stability  of  judgment  in  it  all,  to  my  poor  way  of 
thinking.  Looking  at  the  matter  in  that  aspect  I  have  not  a 
strong  desire  to  go  much  or  often  into  the  question  of  the  merits 
of  this  or  the  other  cross  the  fashion  of  the  day.  However  good 
Booth,  Bates,  Cruickshank  or  any  other  "  blood  "  may  be,  there 
are  plenty  of  persons  out  of  breath  in  their  haste  to  make  a  mess 
of  their  breeding  through  the  indiscriminate  use  of  it,  and  so  to 
discredit  what  one  might- fairly  say  in  its  favor. 

A  little  steadiness  is  the  best  I  have  at  the  moment  to  suggest 
as  to  the  course  for  the  future ;  but  it  must  be  coupled  with  recog- 
nition of  merit,  which  I  believe  to  be  plentiful,  outside  the  cover 
of  the  very  biggest  names. 

You  will  see  that  at  our  shows  the  Scotch  and  Scotch-cross  Short- 
horns are  well  to  the  front.  This  is  a  hard  fact  to  answer.  Still 
it  affords  no  good  reason  for  crossing  everything  with  Scotch 
bulls,  flooding  the  herds  with  that  which  may  be  eminently  suit- 
able in  one  case  and  as  thoroughly  unsuitable  in  another. 

William  Duthie  of  Colly nie,  clearly  recognizes 
the  desirability  of  finding  a  suitable  outcross 
for  the  Sittyton  tribes,  and  has  recently  pur- 
chased in  England  several  very  grand  cows  of 
mixed  breeding,  which  he  proposes  to  mate 
with  Cruickshank-bred  sires  with  a  view  toward 
introducing  in  a  diluted  form  a  dash  of  fresh 
blood  in  the  hope  that  something  may  be 
gained  in  the  way  of  size  and  style.  Among 
these  cows  we  may  mention  Cowslip  26th,  bred 
by  Lord  Brougham  and  Vaux,  a  magnificent 
cow  of  wonderful  scale,  symmetry  and  finish, 
winner  of  many  prizes  in  England  ;  Primrose 
4th,  bred  by  Mr.  Scott  of  Softlaw,  Kelso,  winner 
of  first  prize  at  Edinburgh,  and  of  same  breed- 
ing as  the  great  show  cow  Softlaw  Rose;  and 
Lady  Meredith,  carrying  the  blood  of  the  great 


BAPTON  PEARL. 

Bred  by  J-  Dcane  ITillis. 


CICELY. 

by  Her  Majesty  the  Queen. 

PRIZE- WINNING  HEIFERS  AT  THE  ENGLISH  ROYAL  OF  1899. 


THE    LAMP   OF   EXPERIENCE.  849 

bull  Rosario  on  top  of  a  daughter  of  the  world's 
highest-priced  bull,  Duke  of  Connaught.  The 
latter  has  the  character  and  "  grand  air  "  of  the 
Duchesses,  accompanied  by  ample  scale  and 
flesh.  These  cows  are  large  and  stylish  with 
good  heads,  necks  and  backs.  Moreover  they 
are  heavy  milkers,  and  as  they  have  been  mated 
with  such  bulls  as  Scottish  Archer  and  Lord  of 
Fame  the  result  of  the  cross  is  awaited  with 
much  interest.* 

It  is  a  peculiar  fact  that  while  inbreeding 
brought  several  of  the  greatest  herds  in  Short- 
horn history  to  their  highest  perfection  it 
proved  difficult  to  hold  them  at  the  level  at- 
tained by  the  first  appeal  to  that  magic  influ- 

*  Mr.  Duthie  was  led  to  undertake  this  experiment  largely  by  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  beautiful  roan  heifer  Sea  Gem  (bred  by  Mr.  Buncombe), 
champion  female  of  the  Royal  of  1897  at  Manchester;  that  was  sired  by 
Liberator  (64260)  (bred  at  Col]ynie  and  sold  in  dam  to  Mr.  Willis)  out  of  Sea 
Pearl,  tracing  in  the  maternal  line  to  Fenella  by  Mr.  Bates'  3d  Duke  of 
Northumberland  (3647).  Sea  Gem  was  sold  at  auction  at  above  400  guineas. 
Further  evidence  of  the  intent  of  Mr.  Cruickshank's  broad-minded  suc- 
cessor to  leave  nothing  undone  looking  toward  the  perpetuation  of  the 
merit  of  the  Sittyton  tribes  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  he  has  also  tried 
recently  the  handsome  young  bull  Captain  Inglewood,  a  son  of  the  Sittyton- 
bred  Captain  of  the  Guard,  out  of  one  of  the  famous  Inglewood  cows  bred 
by  the  late  Robert  Thompson  of  Penrith,  whose  successes  at  the  English 
Royal  a  number  of  years  ago  were  among  the  greatest  triumphs  of  the  lat- 
ter-day history  of  the  breed  in  Britain. 

Among  the  stock  bulls  used  in  recent  years  at  Collynie,  in  addition  to 
those  already  mentioned,  have  been  the  following:  Pride  of  Morning 
(6464G),  a  champion  show  bull,  got  by  Star  of  Morning  (68189),  belonging  to 
the  Sittyton  Clipper  tribe;  Count  Arthur  (70194),  a  white  bull,  bred  by  Deane 
Willis  from  Count  Lavender  (60645)  out  of  Victoria  65th  by  Gondolier;  Non- 
pareil Victor  (71071),  also  bred  by  Mr.  Willis,  sired  by  the  champion  bull 
Count  Victor  (66877)— that  was  sold  to  South  America  at  6CO  guineas— out  of 
Nonpareil  Bloom  by  Commodore  (54118),  and  Spicy  Monarch,  bred  at  Upper- 
mill  from  Spicy  Robin  (69638).  out  of  Alexandrina  20th  (own  sister  to 
Messrs.  Robblns'  Gay  Monarch)  by  William  of  Orange. 


850         A   HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

ence.  Fortunately  for  the  breed  the  loss  of 
merit  in  such  cases  has  not  been  rapid.  In  the 
hands  of  skillful  men  the  inbred  tribes  con- 
tinued to  produce  animals  of  extraordinary 
value  at  frequent  intervals.  It  is  true,  never- 
theless, that  the  zenith  of  Bates,  Booth,  Renick 
and  Cruickshank  success  was  attained  in  each 
case  before  the  men  who  created  the  types 
bearing  those  names  laid  down  their  work. 
Their  followers  to  this  day  are  simply  strug- 
gling with  the  problem  of  how  to  sustain  or  re- 
store an  inbred  type  after  it  has  once  been  in 
full  flower.  All  experience  indicates  that  this 
is  a  most  perplexing  problem.  Happily,  how- 
ever, the  great  groups  of  families  named  re- 
mained an  honor  to  their  creators  for  so  many 
years  that  they  contributed  largely  to  the  gen- 
eral welfare.  Strongly-bred  sires  are  usually 
impressive;  but  when  they  impress  inferiority 
rather  than  actual  merit,  their  prepotency  be- 
comes the  strongest  of  all  arguments  against 
their  continued  use. 

Incestuous  breeding  should  never  be  at- 
tempted by  a  novice,  and  any  concentration  of 
blood  is  of  doubtful  efficacy  unless  pronounced 
vigor  and  constitution  are  possessed  by  the  ani- 
mals to  be  subjected  to  it. 

As  commonly  understood  by  cattle-breeders, 
in-and-in  breeding  is  the  term  applied  to  the 
mating  of  sires  of  certain  tribes  with  females 


THE   LAMP    OF    EXPERIENCE.  851 

of  the  same  tribes.  The  use  of  a  continued 
succession  of  sires  of  one  tribe,  or  group  of  kin- 
dred tribes,  upon  females  of  other  maternal 
origin  is  usually  described  as  "line  breeding." 
This  latter  method  of  procedure  gives  rise  to 
stock  characterized  as  Bates-topped,  Booth- 
topped,  Cruickshank-topped,  etc.  Only  such 
cattle  as  descend  in  the  maternal  line  from 
cows  bred  at  Kirklevington,  Killerby,  Warlaby 
or  Sittyton  are  referred  to  as  belonging  respec- 
tively to  the  Bates,  Booth  or  Cruickshank  tribes. 
Cattle  that  trace  to  such  cows  through  sires 
carrying  no  admixture  of  blood  from  other 
herds  are  described  as  "pure"  Bates,  "pure" 
Booth  or  "pure"  Cruickshank,  as  the  case  may 
be,  but  few  to  which  such  appellation  correctly 
applies  are  now  living. 

Herd-book  registration. — In  America  regis- 
tration is  limited  to  animals  descended  all 
around  from  stock  already  of  record.  This  ren- 
ders it  impossible  to  originate  new  families  on 
this  side  of  the  Atlantic  no  matter  how  long 
the  use  of  registered  sires  may  be  pursued.  In 
Great  Britain  the  editing  committee  of  Coates' 
Herd  Book  has  authority  to  admit  animals  hav- 
ing in  the  case  of  bulls  five  crosses  of  registered 
sires,  and  in  the  case  of  cows  four  crosses  of 
same.  Care  is  of  course  taken  before  admit- 
ting stock  under  this  latter  rule  to  see  that  the 
foundation  cows  were  of  good  general  Short- 


852        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

horn  type.  On  account  of  the  existence  of  this 
English  rule  the  American  association  requires 
that  English-bred  cattle  to  be  eligible  for  reg- 
istry must  trace  in  all  their  crosses  to  animals 
recorded,  or  eligible  to  record,  in  the  first 
twenty  volumes  of  Coates'  Herd  Book.  The 
twentieth  volume  of  that  record  was  issued  in 
1873. 

While  it  is  the  well-settled  policy  of  the 
American  management  to  oppose  any  re- 
laxation of  the  herd-book  rules,  the  fact  re- 
mains that  some  of  the  most  valuable  Short- 
horns of  the  day  in  Great  Britain  are  to  be 
found  among  those  that  have  been  bred  into 
Coates'  Herd  Book  since  1873  under  the  four 
and  five-cross  rule.  This  is  particularly  true 
of  that  large  and  valuable  contingent  in  the 
English  herds  possessing  rare  merit  for  dairy 
purposes.  It  is  conceded  that  there  are  grave 
objections  to  opening  the  door  in  America  to 
the  creation  of  new  families,  and  yet  it  is 
possible  that  the  time  will  come  when  long- 
continued  confinement  within  the  limits  of 
stock  descended  from  ancestors  already  of 
record  in  the  American  Herd  Book,  and  in  the 
first  twenty  volumes  of  the  English  may  ren- 
der it  increasingly  difficult  to  carry  on  the 
work  of  improving  the  breed;  especially  when 
choice  of  sires  is  still  further  narrowed  by 
the  dictates  of  fashion  in  blood  lines  and  color. 


THE    LAMP   OF    EXPERIENCE.  853 

The  elder  Booth  always  maintained  that  three 
or  four  crosses  of  the  Killerby  bulls  on  top  of 
good  market  cows  of  the  Teeswater  type  gave 
him  animals  which  were,  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses, purely-bred  Short-horns,  that  could  be 
relied  upon  to  reproduce  their  own  excellen- 
cies. The  breed  has  certainly  held  its  own  in 
its  native  land  with  remarkable  success  and 
persistency  under  a  plan  which  admits  of  the 
gradual  infusion  of  the  blood  of  new  families. 
It  would  seem,  therefore,  that  the  system  under 
which  Coates'  Herd  Book  is  conducted  has  been 
proved  a  success  on  the  other  side  of  the  water. 
The  time  may  not  yet  be  ripe  for  the  intro- 
duction of  a  similar  method  of  registration  in 
this  country,  but  food  for  reflection  is  certainly 
found  in  the  fact  that  a  large  percentage  of 
our  best  cattle  are  seen  among  the  compara- 
tively short-pedigreed  tribes,  and  conversely 
there  is  oftentimes  a  noticeable  absence  of 
merit  in  animals  representing  families  boast- 
ing an  unbroken  line  of  herd  book  descent 
extending  back  of  the  year  1800.  All  must 
admit  the  desirability  of  a  uniform  standard 
on  both  sides  the  Atlantic,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  some  way  of  bringing  the  American  and 
English  rules  to  a  common  basis  may  be  found 
in  the  near  future. 

Color. — Dame  Fashion  has  much  to  ans.wer 
for  in  connection  with  Short-horn  breeding  itt 


854        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

America.  Not  only  has  the  fickle  jade  de- 
manded the  degradation  of  whole  families  of 
good,  well-bred  cattle  on  insufficient  charges 
affecting  their  pedigrees,  but  in  the  Western 
States  went  so  far  as  to  dictate  that  red  bulls 
only  should  be  used  as  sires.  This  latter  prop- 
osition really  had  its  origin  on  the  Western 
range.  Solid-colored  bulls  were  preferred  by 
the  ranchmen,  and  those  who  were  breeding 
for  that  trade  naturally  catered  to  the  wants 
of  their  customers.  This,  in  turn,  affected  the 
choice  of  sires  in  herds  that  supplied  stock 
bulls  to  those  who  had  a  general  farm  and 
range  clientage.  In  vain  did  leading  breeders 
point  out  that  this  was  a  grave  mistake,  nar- 
rowing still  further  a  field  of  selection  which 
had  already  been  curtailed  by  the  operation  of 
fashion's  laws  in  the  matter  of  pedigree.  In 
vain  was  it  pointed  out  that  in  Great  Britain,  the 
home  of  the  breed,  the  roan  was  the  prevailing 
popular  color  and  that  even  white  bulls  were  oc- 
casionally used  in  the  most  famous  herds.  The 
buyers  of  bulls  for  steer-getting  purposes  were 
inexorable.  A  solid  red,  and  worst  of  all  (in 
many  cases)  very  dark  red  bulls,  of  the  most 
ordinary  character,  were  freely  bought  in  pref- 
erence to  thicker,  better,  mellower  roans,  yel- 
low-reds or  reds  with  white  markings.  So  gen- 
eral was  this  demand  at  one  time  that  it  seemed 
fairly  suicidal  for  the  owners  of  pedigreed  herds 


THE   LAMP   OF   EXPERIENCE.  855 

to  use  any  other  than  red  bulls.  The  pursuit 
of  this  policy  led  to  the  sacrifice  of  many  useful 
cattle.  There  were  not  enough  good  reds  of  the 
fashionable  tribes  to  go  around,  so  that  the  in- 
evitable result  was  the  use  of  many  an  indiffer- 
ent sire  for  no  better  reason  than  the  posses- 
sion of  a  coat  of  hair  and  a  pedigree  certificate 
that  tickled  the  popular  fancy — the  prime  es- 
sentials of  constitution  and  thrift  often  being 
ignored  in  the  mad  race  to  obey  the  behests  of 
the  fashion  of  the  hour. 

The  more  substantial  element,  however,  op- 
posed unceasingly  this  debasement  of  the  breed 
and  stood  out  manfully  for  more  rational  meth- 
ods, and  in  the  course  of  time  the  red  color 
craze  began  to  abate.  Good  roans  can  again  be 
disposed  of  at  satisfactory  prices.  The  general 
preference  is  still  for  red  bulls,  but  sensible 
men  do  not  carry  their  opposition  to  the  lighter 
colors  to  the  extreme  noted  some  years  ago. 
Indeed,  both  in  the  matter  of  color  and  fash- 
ionable breeding  there  is  a  marked  change  in 
the  direction  of  reason  and  common  sense  to 
be  noted  at  this  time;  and  in  this  fact  there  is 
hope  for  the  future. 

Handling  quality. — It  is  generally  conceded 
that  feeding  capacity  is  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent indicated  by  the  hide  and  hair.  A  soft 
silky  coat,  assuming  in  winter  a  thick,  furry 
character,  is  always  to  be  preferred  to  hair  that 


856        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

is  thin,  coarse,  wiry  or  harsh.  The  skin  should 
be  of  good  thickness,  not  thin  or  "papery/7  as 
that  indicates  delicacy  of  constitution.  It 
should  be  pliable  to  the  touch,  covering  a  mel- 
low cushion  of  evenly-distributed  flesh.  Hard- 
handling  cattle  of  inferior  fleshing  capacity  are 
found  more  frequently  among  the  dark-red 
Short-horns  than  among  those  of  other  colors. 
The  roans  and  such  reds  as  have  yellow  skins 
are  usually  animals  of  better  quality. 

Constitution,  character  and  conformation.— 
Vigor  must  ever  be  a  paramount  consideration. 
Without  sound  constitution  there  is  no  hope  of 
thrift  or  fertility.  A  pre-disposition  to  disease 
is  a  fault  fatal  to  all  success  or  profit.  Exces- 
sive inbreeding  and  " pampering"  for  show  are 
among  the  prime  causes  of  physical  deteriora- 
tion; leading  to  impaired  vitality  and  fatty  de- 
generation. 

The  bull  should  be  of  positive  masculine 
type,  with  a  strong  head  and  horn.  At  matur- 
ity he  should  be  possessed  of  what  is  commonly 
called  "character";  a  term  which  maybe  briefly 
defined  as  meaning  "individuality."  Weak 
heads  and  countenances,  of  the  negative  sort 
usually  seen  in  steers,  do  not  indicate  in  the 
bull  prepotency  or  the  power  to  impress  his 
own  likeness  with  uniformity  upon  his  prog- 
eny. The  neck  should  be  thick  and  not  too 
long.  The  shoulders  may  be  wide  and  well  de- 


THE    LAMP    OF    EXPERIENCE.  857 

veloped,  but  should  not  be  too  upright;  neither 
should  they  be  too  open  at  the  "crops" — the 
junction  of  the  blades  at  the  top.  The  " chine " 
—which  includes  the  "crops'7  and  the  joining 
of  the  fore-ribs—should  be  broad,  round  and 
full.  The  back  and  loin  should  be  wide  and 
well-furnished  with  flesh.  The  ribs  ought  to 
be  round  and  deep.  A  contracted  heart-girth 
is  decidedly  objectionable.  The  hips  of  the 
bull  ought  riot  to  be  so  conspicuous  as  in  the 
cow.  As  strong  shoulder  development  is  to  be 
expected  in  the  male,  so  in  the  female  the  hips 
(" hooks")  will  naturally  find  greater  promi- 
nence in  order  to  provide  the  pelvic  capacity 
required  by  the  demands  of  the  functions  of 
maternity.  The  quarters  should  be  long  and 
level;  the  "twist"  -space  between  the  thighs 
—well  filled,  and  the  flanks  and  thighs  carried 
low.* 

The  Short-horns  of  the  olden  time  were  dis- 
tinguished for  their  "table"  backs  and  great 
scale,  but  were  often  rather  high  from  the 
ground.  The  market  demand  for  "  baby  beef  " 
has  induced  latter-day  breeders  to  seek  a 
shorter-legged,  more  compactly  fashioned, 
blockier  type,  such  as  feed  to  heavy  weights 
at  an  early  age  ;  but  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  in 

*  This  description  of  course  applies  rather  to  the  beef  form  than  to  the 
dairy  type.  Where  deep-milking  capacity  is  desired  the  full  "  twist "  and 
flanks  will  scarcely  be  present.  The  space  which  in  the  beef  cow  is  here 
occupied  by  flesh  will  in  that  case  be  required  for  udder  development 


858        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN   CATTLE. 

pursuing  this  object  scale  will  not  be  unduly 
neglected. 

The  cow  should  be  as  distinctly  feminine 
about  the  head  and  neck  as  the  bull  is  the 
reverse.  She  should  have  what  is  often  called 
a  "  breedy "  look,  as  distinguished  from  a 
"steery"  countenance.  Refinement  rather 
than  coarseness  almost  invariably  character- 
izes the  head  of  a  successful  breeding  cow. 
This  is  what  the  Scotch  herdsmen  have  in 
mind  when  they  speak  of  "  a  lady  coo."  Width 
between  the  eyes  is  indicative  of  good  feeding 
quality  in  both  sexes.  Long,  narrow  heads  are 
objectionable.  The  incurving  or  dished  face 
may  be  permissible  in  the  female,  but  it  is 
never  suggestive  of  virility,  and  is  not  to  be 
sought  in  the  bull.  Roman  noses  are  seldom 
seen  and  are  not  in  favor,  although  they  are 
almost  invariably  accompanied  by  unusual 
vigor  of  constitution.  The  bull's  face  should 
be  of  good  width  from  the  eyes  to  the  nostrils. 
A  fine  muzzle  is  a  sign  of  delicacy.  Short-horn 
noses  are  usually  light  and  clear  in  color, 
although  occasionally  black  or  clouded.  The 
latter,  although  not  evidence  of  impure  breed- 
ing, are  avoided  as  much  as  possible  by  careful 
breeders.  ^Such  a  minor  point,  however,  as  a 
clouded  nose  will  not  deter  a  man  of  good 
judgment  from  using  an  animal  that  is  ex- 
ceptionally desirable  in  vital  particulars. 


HEIFE.R.CALF   SHOWN    BY    W.  T.  MILLER   &   SONS.  OF   INDIANA. 


HEIFER   BRED   BY   N.  P.  CLARKE   AT   MEADOW  LAWN. 

BREED  TYPES  AS  SHOWN  BY  PHOTOGRAPHY. 


THE    LAMP   OF    EXPERIENCE.  859 

A  generous  middle  signifies  a  good  "doer." 
Excessive  paunchiness  is  a  fault  to  be  avoided, 
but  the  highest  results,  either  in  the  feed-lot  or 
in  the  dairy,  are  only  possible  where  ample  di- 
gestive power  is  in  evidence. 

Primary  points  in  management. —  The 
nearer  Short-horns  can  be  maintained  under 
natural  conditions  the  better.  Plenty  of  good 
grass  for  the  working  members  of  the  herd  and 
an  abundant  supply  of  milk  for  the  calves  are 
prime  requisites.  Pastures  should  never  be 
"overworked"  or  grazed  too  closely  in  midsum- 
mer. No  one  should  undertake  to  keep  more 
cattle  than  can  be  carried  with  justice  to  the 
available  pasture  lands.  The  blue  grass,  which 
is  the  mainstay  of  the  cattle  business  in  the 
United  States,  makes  little  if  any  growth 
through  the  hot  summer  months.  It  will  often 
be  found  wise  practice  to  provide  a  supply  of 
succulent  food  for  the  herd  during  this  period. 
Fodder  corn  sow^n  for  this  purpose  will  be 
found  a  profitable  crop  in  this  connection. 

During  the  winter  reasonable  shelter  should 
always  be  provided.  Cattle  can  stand  a  low 
degree  of  temperature  when  the  weather  is 
clear  and  bright;  but  cold,  wet  storms  subject 
their  constitutions  to  a  test  which  careful 
breeders  will  endeavor  to  avoid.  Throughout 
the  Western  States  it  is  common  practice  to 
stable  the  herds  at  nights  during  the  coldest 


860        A   HISTORY   OP   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

weather,  but  it  is  almost  unanimously  agreed 
that  "housing"  during  the  day  is  positively  in- 
jurious, except  in  the  case  of  young  calves  or 
animals  very  thin  in  flesh.  Exercise  and  fresh 
air  are  absolutely  necessary  for  the  health  of 
breeding  stock.  Close  confinement  in  poorly- 
ventilated  stables  is  even  worse  than  exposure 
to  the  elements.  Some  breeders  permit  their 
stock  bulls  to  run  with  the  herd,  but  this  is  not 
the  usual  practice.  The  better  plan  is  to  pro- 
vide a  good  box  for  the  bull,  opening  into  as 
large  a  paddock  as  can  be  spared  for  this  pur- 
pose. A  grassy  lot,  several  acres  in  area,  with 
shade  and  water  trough,  ought  to  be  arranged 
for  the  bull's  comfort  in  connection  with  his 
stall. 

Over  considerable  areas  in  the  Central  West 
cattle  can  find  the  bulk  of  their  feed  in  blue- 
grass  pastures  up  to  Jan.  1,  but  the  young 
stock  will  require  more  or  less  grain  in  order 
to  insure  their  proper  development.  Short- 
horn heifers  that  have  been  carried  to  matur- 
ity upon  a  judicious  ration  will  not  require 
much  grain  to  maintain  their  condition  as 
cows,  except  perhaps  in  the  case  of  those  milk- 
ing heavily.  The  young  bulls  after  weaning 
must  be  kept  by  themselves  and  receive  spe- 
cial care.  It  is  more  difficult  to  condition 
a  young  bull  than  a  heifer,  and  a  lib- 
eral ration  of  grain  is  required  for  the  first 


LAMP    OF    EXPERIENCE.  861 

twelve  months  after  he  has  been  deprived  of 
his  mother's  milk.  In  the  conditioning  of 
thin  cows  and  young  stock  too  much  corn 
should  not  be  used.  Ground  oats,  bran,  a  little 
oil-cake,  roots,  shredded  fodder,  good  grass, 
hay,  or  even  clean,  bright  straw  may  all  be  re- 
sorted to  with  profit,  and  a  mixture  of  these 
feeds  is  always  preferable  to  an  exclusive  use 
of  any  one  of  them.  Feeding,  however,  is  an 
art  that  cannot  be  taught  from  books.  A  ra- 
tion that  will  suit  one  case  will  fail  in  another. 
Not  only  the  kinds  but  the  amounts  to  be 
given  can  only  be  satisfactorily  determined  by 
a  careful  study  of  the  individual  peculiarities 
of  different  animals. 

To  succeed  in  Short-horn  breeding  it  is  im- 
portant that  one  have  a  genuine  love  for  the 
work.  Both  the  owner  and  the  herdsman 
should  find  a  keen  delight  in  the  company  of 
their  cattle,  and  if  on  terms  of  intimacy  with 
favorite  animals  so  much  the  better.  Kind 
treatment  should  at  all  times  be  enforced. 
Young  bulls  are  frequently  rendered  vicious 
by  injudicious  punishment.  All  bulls  over 
twelve  months  old  should  have  rings  inserted 
in  their  noses,  so  that  they  may  be  managed 
with  safety.  An  unruly  bull  should  never  be 
used  or  tolerated  unless  of  such  outstanding 
excellence  that  his  services  seem  fairly  indis- 
pensable, and  if  proved  positively  dangerous 


862        A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

should  go  the  shambles  at  any  cost.  Human 
life  is  more  sacred  than  the  welfare  of  any 
herd. 

Well-trained,  reliable  herdsmen  are  almost 
beyond  price  when  the  owner  cannot  give  the 
cattle  his  own  personal  attention,  and  even  in 
that  case  the  services  of  a  competent  helper 
will  be  required.  Experienced  herdsmen  are 
perhaps  more  numerous  in  Great  Britain  than 
in  the  United  States,  and  many  of  Scotch  and 
English  birth  have  been  prominently  identified 
with  the  business  in  America.  Unfortunately 
Culshaws  and  Cuddys  are  rare  even  in  the  old 
country.  Men  who  consecrate  their  lives  to 
a  mastery  of  the  thousand  details  of  successful 
cattle  management,  men  who  anticipate  every 
want  of  the  animals  in  their  care,  men  who 
know  that  unremitting  attention  means  "  good 
luck/'  and  neglect  brings  the  reverse,  are  en- 
title'd  to  the  highest  consideration  and  encour- 
agement of  all  who  have  the  interests  of  live- 
stock improvement  at  heart.  Short-horn  his- 
tory abounds  in  instances  of  rare  devotion, 
singleness  of  purpose  and  conscientious  dis- 
charge of  duty  on  the  part  of  those  who  have 
been  responsible  for  the  welfare  of  different 
herds.  On  the  other  hand  there  is  a  consider- 
able element  in  the  fraternity  of  herdsmen 
that  does  not  seem  to  realize  the  dignity  of 
this  form  of  service.  It  is  not  only  an  honor- 


THE    LAMP    OF    EXPERIENCE.  863 

able  but  a  useful  .profession,  in  which  fidelity 
and  skill  will  usually  bring  their  own  reward. 

Does  showing  pay1? — There  is  a  wide  differ- 
ence of  opinion  among  cattle-breeders  on  this 
question,  but  it  resolves  itself  finally  into  the 
simple  proposition  of  advertising.  The  light 
that  is  hid  under  the  half-bushel  is  never  seen 
from  a  distance.  One  is  never  certain  that  his 
efforts  at  producing  good  cattle  will  be  appre- 
ciated in  his  own  immediate  neighborhood.  A 
market  for  surplus  stock  is  a  necessity,  and 
those  who  would  seek  the  best  class  of  trade 
must  reach  out  for  it.  It  will  certainly  not 
come  to  them  unsolicited.  Judicious  advertis- 
ing lies  at  the  very  foundation  of  all  business 
success,  and  he  who  ignores  this  fact  will  have 
no  one  to  blame  but  himself  if  he  fails  to 
find  a  satisfactory  market  for  his  wares.  No 
amount  of  advertising  will  bring  success  unless 
there  is  merit  in  what  is  offered  for  sale. 
Given,  therefore,  a  herd  of  cattle  of  really  de- 
sirable character  and  quality,  some  form  of  ad- 
vertising must  be  resorted  to  if  the  owner  pro- 
poses  to  do  justice  to  his  own  investment. 

The  show-yard  and  the  public  press  are  the 
two  main  mediums  of  communication  with  the 
public.  Some  have  accomplished  their  object 
by  the  use  of  one  of  these  methods  and  some 
by  the  other.  Public  attention  may  be  ac- 
quired more  promptly  by  an  appeal  to  both, 


864         A    HISTORY    OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

and  this  is  the  plan  pursued  by  the  more  enter- 
prising element.  There  is  no  denying  the  fact 
that  many  a  grand  Short-horn  has  been  ruined 
for  breeding  purposes  by  long-continued  train- 
ing for  show.  Under  the  system  of  judging 
that  has  been  prevalent  on  both  sides  of  the 
water  for  half  a  century  it  has  been  idle  to 
exhibit  cattle  that  were  not  heavily  fed.  Cat- 
tle of  delicate  constitution  quickly  succumb  to 
this  pressure  and  even  the  most  rugged  types 
gradually  give  way  under  it.  Injury  from  ex- 
cessive feeding  is  greatest  in  the  case  of  ma- 
tured animals,  and  on  this  account  the  mana- 
gers of  our  modern  shows  have  modified  their 
requirements  in  the  case  of  herds  in  such  way 
as  to  render  it  unnecessary  to  fit  so  many  aged 
cows  as  were  formerly  necessary.  What  is 
known  as  the  graded  or  "step-ladder"  herd 
simply  calls  for  a  bull  two  years  old  or  over, 
one  cow  three  years  old  or  over,  one  two-year- 
old  heifer,  one  yearling  heifer  and  one  heifer 
calf.  This  is  a  change  of  distinct  advantage  to 
the  breeder. 

So  long  as  there  are  honors  and  fame  to  be 
gained  by  these  public  contests  there  will  be 
found  men  to  fit  and  show  their  stock.  Men 
will  "seek  the  bubble  reputation  even  at  the 
cannon's  mouth/7  Cattle-breeders  will  not  be 
deterred  from  engaging  in  the  great  show-yard 
battles  by  the  mere  possibility  of  injury  or  loss 


B| 


is 


THE    LAMP   OF   EXPERIENCE.  865 

to  a  certain  proportion  of  the  animals  fitted. 
As  a  general  proposition  feeding  for  show  is 
not  only  an  expensive  undertaking  so  far  as 
the  immediate  outlay  is  concerned,  but  is 
clearly  detrimental  to  the  best  interests  of  the 
animals  pressed  into  such  service.  At  the  same 
time  it  seems  essential,  as  a  broad  proposition, 
that  advantage  be  taken  of  the  shows  to  dem- 
onstrate continuously  the  feeding  capabilities 
of  the  breed;  but  this  should  ordinarily  be  left 
to  those  who  have  the  means  and  facilities  for 
carrying  on  the  work  fairly  regardless  of  imme- 
diate profit.  We  can  only  say  in  a  general  way 
to  those  who  contemplate  showing  that  we  ad- 
vise the  feeding  and  exhibition  of  young  animals 
of  one's  own  breeding.  It  takes  considerable 
capital  to  engage  successfully  in  the  general 
herd  competitions,  but  airy  good  breeder  may 
find  it  to  his  advantage  to  exhibit  from  time  to 
time  calves  or  yearlings  illustrating  his  own 
work.  Young  animals  thus  fitted  are  not  nec- 
essarily injured  for  the  future.  Young  bulls 
have  to  be  well  "done"  in  any  event  until 
they  approach  maturity,  and  as  for  the  heifers 
if  they  are  settled  to  a  service  at  from  twenty 
to  twenty-four  months  of  age  and  returned  to 
pasture  after  being  shown,  there  is  no  reason 
why  they  should  fail  to  become  thereafter  reg- 
ular breeders  in  the  herd.  Until  show-yard 
judges  are  content  with  less  fat  it  is  certainly 


866         A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

the  part  of  wisdom  for  the  average  breeder  to 
limit  his  showing  to  young  cattle.  This  latter 
practice  we  believe  to  be  a  very  effective  means 
of  bringing  one's  stock  before  the  attention  of 
buyers. 

Selling  the  surplus.— The  matter  of  dis- 
posing of  surplus  stock,  touched  upon  in  the 
preceding  paragraphs,  is  one  of  vital  interest. 
The  manner  of  procedure  will  vary  according 
to  the  character  of  different  herds.  Those  who 
have  purchased  high-priced  foundation  stock, 
representing  the  most  fashionable  bloods  and 
show-yard  strains,  will  naturally  make  a  bid 
for  the  business  of  the  leading  professional 
breeders.  Those  who  contemplate  breeding 
from  what  are  called  "top"  cattle  will  find  the 
show-yard,  the  live-stock  press  and  the  art 
pictorial  all  necessary  factors  in  success.  In 
other  words,  those  who  expect  to  supply  high- 
class  bulls  to  head  the  best  contemporary  herds 
must  do  whatever  is  necessary  to  demonstrate 
their  right  to  such  desirable  patronage.  On 
the  other  hand,  those  who  establish  themselves 
with  a  view  toward  supplying  young  bulls  to 
farmers  and  ranchmen — who,  as  a  rule,  cannot 
be  expected  to  pay  large  prices — will  not  need 
to  incur  so  much  expense  in  the  matter  of  ad- 
vertising. In  considering  the  question  of  the 
class  of  trade  to  be  cultivated,  breeders  should 
not  overlook  the  fact  that  it  costs  but  little 


THE    LAMP    OF    EXPERIENCE.  867 

more  to  grow  a  Short-horn  worth  from  $300  to 
1500  than  it  does  to  mature  one  worth  $100. 
We  are  speaking,  of  course,  of  the  mere  ex- 
pense of  feeding  and  handling.  As  a  general 
proposition,  therefore,  quality  rather  thar: 
quantity  should  be  the  aim. 

The  public  sale  system  as  a  means  of  dispos- 
ing of  surplus  stock  has  been  popular  among 
stock-breeders  from  the  earliest  periods.  In- 
deed, it  has  many  advantages  both  for  the 
buyer  and  seller.  It  enables  a  breeder  in  one 
day  to  make  a  complete  clearance  of  his  sur- 
plus for  the  entire  year,  relieving  him  of  the 
burden  of  much  correspondence  necessarily  en- 
tailed by  a  system  of  private  sales.  It  is  an 
advantage  to  the  buyer  because  he  is  given  the 
choice  of  a  large  number  of  animals  of  different 
ages  and  sexes  at  a  price  representing  the  judg- 
ment of  his  fellow  breeders  present.  A  fairly- 
conducted  auction  is  on  this  latter  account  a  safe 
place  for  a  new  beginner  to  make  investments. 
He  has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  he  is 
making  his  purchases  at  prices  which  are  vir- 
tually fixed  by  the  breeders  in  attendance.  As 
a  rule  these  auction  sales  of  Short-horns  are 
conducted  in  absolute  good  faith.  By-bidding, 
the  protection  of  the  price  of  animals  through 
manipulation  by  the  seller,  has  been  effect- 
ually discountenanced  by  the  adoption  of  a 
high  standard  of  business  morality  and  prin  • 


868        A    HISTORY    OP   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

ciple  in  connection  with  the  management  of 
most  of  these  sales.  Anything  savoring  of 
fraud  in  any  shape,  form  or  manner  receives 
such  speedy  condemnation  that  there  is  no  en- 
couragement for  dishonesty. 

About  animal  portraiture. — The  illustra- 
tions in  this  volume  will  afford  a  fair  idea  of 
the  progress  that  has  been  made  in  this  line 
since  the  days  of  uThe  White  Heifer  That  Trav- 
eled.'7 The  reproductions  used  in  this  work 
are  mainly  from  drawings  made  by  various  ar- 
tists of  reputation  on  both  sides  the  Atlantic. 
Near  the  end  may  be  seen  some  of  the  latest 
work  of  the  camera.  It  will  be  observed  that 
in  the  old-style  pictures  there  is  marked  exag- 
geration in  the  matter  of  over-refinement  of 
the  extremeties,  at  the  same  time  the  pictures 
give,  in  a  general  way,  a  correct  idea  as  to  the 
main  points  of  difference  in  the  make-up  of 
animals  representing  the  leading  breed  types. 
Animal  photography  as  applied  specially  to  the 
beef  breeds  of  cattle  may  be  said  to  be  still  in 
its  infancy,  but  substantial  progress  in  that  art 
is  being  made.  From  this  fact  we  are  led  to 
indulge  the  hope  that  we  may  hand  down  to 
future  generations  likenesses  of  present-day 
cattle  which  shall  be  more  lifelike  than  our 
delineations  of  the  old-time  celebrities. 

Tribal  designation. — This  is  a  problem  that 
puzzles  many  new  beginners  in  Short-horn 


FAIR  QUEEN,  CHAMPION  FEMALE  AT  THE  AMERICAN  SHOWS  OP  1904. 


THE   LAMP   OF    EXPERIENCE.  869 

breeding.  All  who  engage  in  the  business  are 
anxious  to  acquire  as  quickly  as  possible  a 
knowledge  which  will  enable  them  to  deter- 
mine the  line  of  descent  represented  by  any 
given  pedigree  without  having  to  undertake  an 
extended  herd-book  examination.  In  regard 
to  this  we  can  only  say  there  is  no  "short  cut'7 
to  this  form  of  knowledge.  The  ability  to 
"read"  at  a  glance  any  given  pedigree  only 
comes  as  a  result  of  years  of  herd-book  re- 
search. 

The  division  of  Short-horns  into  families  or 
tribes  is  purely  arbitrary,  and  while  the  exist- 
ing system  of  tribal  nomenclature  is  perhaps 
as  convenient  as  any  that  could  be  devised, 
yet,  as  has  been  pointed  out  on  page  101  of  this 
volume,  it  is  entirely  misleading  so  far  as  con- 
veying any  adequate  idea  of  the  real  blood 
elements  is  concerned.  The  family  names  are 
all  derived  from  some  one  or  more  of  the 
ancestresses  in  the  direct  maternal  line.  Aside 
from  cattle  belonging  to  the  Bates,  Booth  and 
Cruickshank  tribes,  our  American  families  of 
Short-horns  usually  bear  the  name  of  the 
imported  cow  to  which  they  trace  on  the 
side  of  the  dam.  Those  who  study  the  his- 
tory of  Killerby,  Warlaby,  Kirklevington  and 
Sittyton  will  soon  be  able  to  recognize  pedi- 
grees running  direct  to  those  celebrated  herds. 
There  are  some  cattle  in  the  American  Herd 


870        A    HISTORY   OF    SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

Book,  descended  from  cows  recorded  by  Mr. 
Allen  in  the  early  days,  that  do  not  trace 
in  the  maternal  line  to  any  known  imported 
cow.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  these 
animals  now  present  pedigrees  showing  a  suc- 
cession of  registered  sires  entitling  them  to 
rank  as  well-bred  Short-horns,  the  partisans  of 
the  more  fashionable  sorts  speak  of  them  as 
tracing  to  the  "  American  woods." 

There  is  only  one  way  of  ascertaining  defi- 
nitely the  blood  actually  present  in  any  given 
pedigree  and  that  is  by  a  complete  tabulation 
of  it.  Too  much  attention  is  paid  by  breeders 
generally  to  these  tribal  distinctions.  The 
blood  of  the  original  animals  that  gave  their 
names  to  these  various  families  was  long  ago 
buried  deep  under  subsequent  crosses,  and 
while  it  is  of  course  well  to  have  a  pedigree 
soundly  anchored  at  the  base  the  "  top  "  breed- 
ing is  of  vastly  greater  relative  importance. 

Dignity  of  the  breeder's  calling.  —  The 
sculptor  lures  from  the  solid  marble  images  of 
grace,  beauty  or  strength  that  provoke  the 
plaudits  of  the  world.  His  contact  with  his 
work  is  direct.  Tn  calling  from  stone  the  crea- 
tures of  his  own  conception  the  figures  may  be 
shaped  at  will.  A  Phidias  or  a  Canova  lifts  the 
veil  from  his  superb  handiwork  and  gains  a 
place  in  the  gallery  of  immortals.  Compared 
with  him  who  has  the  power  to  conceive  an 


THE    LAMP    OF    EXPERIENCE.  871 

ideal  animal  form  and  call  it  into  life  through 
a  profound  knowledge  of  Nature's  intricate  and 
hidden  laws,  the  greatest  sculptor  is  a  mere 
mechanic.  There  is  no  higher  form  of  art  than 
that  which  deals  with  the  intelligent  manipula- 
tion of  animal  life;  the  modeling  of  living, 
breathing  creatures  in  accordance  with  the  will 
and  purpose  of.  a  guiding  mind.  It  rises  in  its 
boundless  possibilities  to  heights  that  are  fairly 
God-like.  It  sounds  the  depths  of  the  pro- 
foundest  mysteries  of  physical  existence,  verg- 
ing on  the  borders  of  the  Infinite  itself.  The 
world  of  human  endeavor  presents  no  nobler 
field  of  action,  no  realm  of  thought  demanding 
a  higher  order  of  ability.  And  yet  how  many  of 
those  who  assume  the  responsibility  of  marring 
or  making  these  wondrous  creations  of  flesh 
and  blood  approach  the  work  with  any 
adequate  preparation  or  appreciation  of  the 
real  breadth  and  depth  of  the  propositions  with 
which  they  will  have  to  deal?  It  is  not  a  task 
to  be  lightly  undertaken,  if  one  means  to  deal 
fairly  by  the  helpless  forms  confided  to  his 
care.  If  we  could  but  impress  this  thought  in- 
delibly upon  the  minds  of  those  who  engage  in 
this  most  fascinating  pursuit  there  would  be 
more  noble  creations  and  fewer  wrecks  along 
the  paths  of  the  stock  breeding  of  the  future 
than  in  the  past.  Failure  to  grasp  the  funda- 
mental idea  that  the  breeder's  calling  entails 


872        A   HISTORY   OF   SHORT-HORN    CATTLE. 

duties  and  responsibilities  which  no  man  can 
conscientiously  ignore  lies  at  the  bottom  of 
failures  innumerable. 

The  future. — The  dawn  of  the  new  century 
presents  a  most  attractive  field  for  those  who 
undertake  to  conscientiously  promote  the  best 
interests  of  the  Short-horn  breed.  We  have 
seen  that  at  regular  intervals  men  possessing 
original  creative  power  have  made  a  world- 
wide name  and  fame  for  themselves  in  this  line 
of  work;  but  with  all  due  respect  to  what  these 
great  minds  have  accomplished,  it  is  folly  to 
say  that  all  knowledge  and  skill  in  connection 
with  Short-horn  breeding  perished  with  them. 
What  has  been  done  in  the  past  can  be  repeated 
in  the  future,  but  the  triumphs  of  the  twentieth 
century  await  not  those  who  are  servile  imita- 
tors, but  the  worthy  ones  who  have  the  neces- 
sary courage  to  undertake  the  development 
along  independent  lines  of  the  tribes  of  Short- 
horns which  shall  engage  the  attention  of  the 
historians  of  the  days  to  come. 


APPENDIX. 


"THE  STUDY  OF  SHORT-HORN  HISTORY.' 

AN    ADDRESS    BY    ALVIX     II.     SANDEKS    BEFORE     THE     CENTRAL 

SHORT-HORN   BREEDERS'   ASSOCIATION,   AT    KANSAS 

CITY,    JAN.    30,    1901. 

It  is  always  interesting  to  trace  the  beginnings  of  any 
great  power.  They  are  digging  to-day  in  the  ruins  of  the 
Roman  Forum  for  relics  that  may  throw  additional  light 
upon  the  origin  of  the  ancient  city  "that  from  her  throne 
of  beauty  ruled  the  world."  Some  months  ago  I  spent  a 
day  watching  these  workmen  at  their  toil.  I  saw  a  broken 
piece  of  marble  loosened  by  a  pick — a  mere  fragment,  of 
no  value  in  itself,  but  which  I  observed  was  carved  upon 
one  side  with  all  the  accuracy  and  delicacy  for  which  the 
stone-cutters  and  sculptors  of  2,000  years  ago  were  famous. 
My  guide  obtained  this  for  me  and  I  have  it  in  my  rooms 
to-day,  a  souvenir  with  which  I  would  not  willingly  part. 
I  often  take  it  up  and  study  it.  Why?  There  are  thousands 
of  fragments  of  greater  size  and  of  more  practical  value 
to  be  had  about  any  quarry  in  the  land.  Why,  then,  does 
so  much  interest  attach  to  that  particular  piece  of  stone? 
Simply  because  the  level  from  which  it  was  exhumed  ren- 
ders it  certain  that  it  once  formed  a  part  of  a  capital  or 
cornice  that  ornamented  some  arch  or  temple  that  had 
looked  down  upon  the  pomp  and  pageantry  of  the  Pagan 
Emperors.  It  had  gone  down  centuries  later  in  the  sack- 
ing and  burning  of  Rome  by  Northern  barbarians.  His- 
tory, in  short,  had  set  its  seal  upon  that  bit  of  marble, 

(873) 


874  APPENDIX. 

giving  it,  to  me  at  least,  a  value  and  an  interest  all  its 
own.  So  much  for  the  effect  that  associations  have  in 
this  world  in  fixing  our  ideas  of  values. 

We  all  prize  family  heirlooms  handed  down  from  genera- 
tions that  have  gone  before.  An  old  clock,  or  chest;  a 
piece  of  plate,  a  picture  that  speaks  to  us  of  other  days, 
we  will  not  exchange,  if  we  are  wise,  for  any  new  design 
a  tradesman  might  submit.  You  may  call  this  sentiment 
if  you  like,  but  it  exists  nevertheless  to  a  greater  or  less 
deg*ee  in  every  human  breast,  and  to  my  mind  adds  an 
element  of  pleasure  to  this  work-a-day  world  that  we  ought 
never  to  ignore. 

An  article  with  a  history  is  a  source  of  unfailing  pleasure 
and  interest  provided  you  know  the  history.  The  Short- 
horn breed  of  cattle  is  such  a  product.  Round  about  its 
record  there  is  entwined  a  story  which,  once  known,  throws 
an  indefinable  charm  about  each  and  every  herd;  a  story 
which,  beginning  several  centuries  ago  in  the  little  valley 
of  the  river  Tees,  ends  only  in  your  own  pastures,  by 
your  own  fireside;  a  story  bristling  with  great  personal 
triumphs;  replete  with  stirring  scenes;  abounding  in  bene- 
fits conferred  upon  the  farming  world;  a  story  of  great 
deeds  performed  in  the  arts  of  peace;  a  story  which  Invests 
the  breeding  of  Short-horn  cattle  with  a  dignity  that  gives 
your  profession  rank  with  the  most  honorable  pursuits  of 
man.  To  me  this  story  has  ever  possessed  a  peculiar  fas- 
cination. It  seems  indeed  to  me  the  one  romance  of  live- 
stock history:  the  humble  beginning;  the  long  years  of 
incubation  and  patient  experimentation;  the  dawn  of  pop- 
ularity; the  first  great  victories;  the  occupation  of  two 
continents;  the  dazzling  values  of  the  seventies;  the  rival- 
ries of  great  breeders  and  exhibitors;  the  era  of  unparal- 
leled speculation;  the  plunge  into  the  depths  of  depression; 
the  purification  wrought  by  the  fires  of  adversity;  the 
struggle  with  contending  breeds,  and  last  but  not  least 
the  sunshine  of  present  day  prosperity.  There  are  pictures 
to  be  seen  in  this  panorama  that  ought  to  have  a  place 
in  the  mind  of  every  man  who  breeds  or  feeds  a  Short- 
horn. There  are  inspirations  to  be  gathered  from  a  study 


APPENDIX.  875 

of  the   past  that  will   prove   the   prelude   to   present   and 
future   success. 

I  do  not  see  how  any  man  can  become  an  owner  of 
Short-horn  cattle  without  wishing  to  familiarize  himself 
with  the  history  of  the  breed.  I  do  not  see  how  any  man 
can  undertake  the  breeding  of  Short-horns  without  in- 
forming himself  thoroughly  as  to  the  ancestry  of  the  cattle 
with  which  he  proposes  to  work.  I  do  not  believe  any 
man  ever  acquired  genuine  enthusiasm  in  this  field  until 
he  had  first  mastered  the  main  facts  relating  to  the  careers 
of  the  great  breeders  and  herdsmen  of  the  past.  I  do  not 
believe  that  the  average  breeder  begins  to  appreciate  how 
much  it  would  add  to  his  pleasure  and  profit  to  be  able 
to  trace  step  by  step  the  progress  of  the  Short-horn  in 
Great  Britain  and  America  in  order  that  he  may  define 
clearly  the  true  relations  of  his  own  cattle  to  the  breed 
at  large. 

*     *     * 

For  upwards  of  twenty  years  I  have  been  searching  the 
highways  and  by-ways  of  this  most  extraordinary  history 
with  an  ever-increasing  interest  and  with  a  steadily  widen- 
ing appreciation  of  the  fact  that  there  is  good  to  be  found 
upon  every  page  of  the  English  and  American  herd  books. 
I  defy  any  fair-minded  man  to  follow  faithfully  the  record 
of  the  breed  for  the  past  century  and  at  the  end  pro- 
nounce himself  a  partisan  of  any  one  tribe,  any  one  group 
of  tribes  or  of  any  one  section.  I  contend  that  the  con- 
scientious study  of  Short-horn  history  will  do  this  for 
any  honest  owner  of  cattle  of  this  breed — it  will  make  a 
Short-horn  man  in  the  highest  and  best  sense  of  the  word 
even  of  those  who  have  become  enslav?d  by  fads  and 
fashions.  It  will  lift  him  out  of  the  narrow  slough  of  this, 
that,  or  the  other  whirn  into  which  he  may  have  fallen,  into 
the  bright  sunlight  of  reason  and  common  sense.  There 
is  nothing  like  scaling  a  height  if  we  would  make  a  ra- 
tional study  of  the  plain  below.  There  is  nothing  like 
knowledge  to  dispel  the  clouds  of  ignorance.  There  is 
nothing  like  strolling  beyond  the  narrow  confines  of  our 
own  little  horizon  to  discover  what  lies  in  the  great  world 


876  APPENDIX. 

beyond.  In  the  language  of  Scotland's  bard,  "It  wad  frae 
mony  a  blunder  free  us,  and  foolish  notion."  This,  then, 
is  the  message  I  would  bring  to  you  here  to-day — the 
broadening,  steadying  influence  that  flows  from  familiarity 
with  the  actual  accomplishments  of  the  past.  That  is 
the  one  great  point,  as  I  take  it,  to  be  gained  from  a 
study  of  Short-horn  history.  This  same  idea  has  recently 
been  well  expressed  by  Mr.  Richard  Gibson  in  the  fol- 
lowing language: 

"No  one  can  really  expect  to  derive  all  the  pleasure 
and  satisfaction  that  is  to  be  found  in  breeding  Short- 
horns unless  conversant  with  the  history  of  each  family 
of  his  herd  and  the  breeders  thereof.  Once  becoming  in- 
terested he  will  read  of  other  families  and  other  breeders, 
thus  enlarging  his  ideas  and  broadening  his  view  so  that 
he  may  be  led  out  of  a  narrow  groove  and  say  'not  Bates 
nor  Booth,  nor  Cruickshank  nor  Knightley  make  Short- 
horns, but  a  happy  combination  of  the  lot.' " 
*  *  * 

The  study  of  Short-horn  history  enables  the  breeder  to 
interpret  intelligently  the  pedigrees  of  his  cattle.  If  he 
really  wants  to  know  what  blood  is  actually  in  his  herd 
he  will  have  the  breeding  tabulated.  This  will  spread 
before  his  eye  a  record  of  the  ancestry  which  will  mean 
much  or  little  to  him  just  in  proportion  to  his  knowledge 
of  the  history  of  the  breed,  Are  there  animals  of  note 
or  breeders  of  distinction  revealed  by  that  tabulation?  To 
what  tribe  or  group  of  tribes  do  the  various  animals  be- 
long? Through  whose  hands  have  they  come?  Where  does 
the  line  of  descent  pass  from  Britain  to  America?  What 
was  the  character  of  the  cattle  contributing  the  predom- 
inating blood?  These  and  a  hundred  other  queries  must 
arise  in  the  mind  of  every  intelligent  and  enterprising  man. 
A  knowledge  of  the  history  of  the  breed  is  therefore  of 
practical  every-day  service  in  estimating  relative  values 
of  pedigrees.  This  alone  should  stimulate  every  buyer  and 
seller  to  acquire  all  the  information  possible  from  the 
past  records  of  the  breed.  There  is  another  incentive  to 
those  who  seek  pleasure  as  well  as  profit  in  Short-horn 


APPENDIX.  877 

breeding — the  acquiring  of  a  bond  of  fellowship  or  com- 
munion with  the  great  characters  developed  by  the  trade. 
You  should  be  proud  to  be  affiliated  with  such  a  fra- 
ternity and  glory  in  its  achievements.  Speaking  for  my- 
self I  count  it  one  of  the  great  privileges  of  my  life  to 
have  enjoyed  during  the  past  twenty  years  the  acquaintance 
and  friendship  of  most  of  those  who  have  been  active  in 
this  line  of  work.  Soon  after  that  memorable  day  at  New 
York  Mills  when  England  and  America  joined  in  working 
out  a  tribute  to  the  Short-horn  breed  such  as  has  never 
been  paid  to  any  other  variety  of  improved  domestic  ani- 
mals since  the  world  began,  I  took  up  a  quest  for  knowl- 
edge as  to  the  great  breeders  and  herdsmen,  and  of  the 
great  individual  animals  of  the  breed,  that  is  still  being 
pursued  with  no  abatement  of  interest;  a  quest  which 
has  led  me  upon  many  an  extended  pilgrimage  throughout 
that  vast  agricultural  empire  comprised  within  the  corn- 
and-blue-grass-growing  regions  of  the  United  States;  a 
quest  which  has  drawn  me  across  the  seas  to  the  ancestral 
home  of  the  breed  in  York  and  Durham;  that  has  taken 
me  to  the  tomb  of  Thos.  Bates;  through  the  fair  and  fertile 
fields  of  Warlaby;  to  the  vine-clad  walls  of  Sittyton,  and 
to  the  gates  of  two  Royal  English  Shows;  a  quest  that 
has  sustained  me  through  weary  days  of  note-book  work  at 
Short-horn  competitions,  and  which,  best  of  all,  has  af- 
forded many  golden  hours  of  delightful  converse  about 
the  firesides  of  men  who  have  been  an  honor  to  the  pro- 
fession on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic;  and  the  more  I  learn 
of  the  story  the  more  inspiring  it  becomes.  Once  in  touch 
with  the  real  spirit  of  the  theme  there  is  simply  no  re- 
sisting its  subtle  charm. 

*     *     * 

One  day  in  the  month  of  June  some  years  ago  one  of 
England's  foremost  cattle  judges  and  one  of  America's 
most  gifted  followers  of  the  fortunes  of  the  "red,  white 
and  roan"  were  my  companions  on  a  little  journey  to  the 
birthplace  of  the  breed.  I  remember  that  we  tarried  awhile 
at  a  quiet  wayside  inn  at  the  little  hamlet  of  Kirklevington, 
musing  upon  the  scenes  recalled  by  the  historic  spots  that 


878  APPENDIX. 

we  had  visited.  In  fancy  we  restored  to  the  market  places 
of  Yarm  and  Darlington  that  sturdy  company  of  earnest 
men  that  made  the  grand  old  breed.  There  were  two 
brothers,  Charles  and  Robert,  who  had  brought  in  from 
the  pastures  of  Ketton  and  Barmpton  specimens  of  the 
newly  improved  Teeswater  type.  A  great  throng  of  land- 
lords and  tenant  farmers  from  far  and  near  gathered  about 
a  monstrous  Colling  bullock  called  The  Durham  Ox.  In 
the  press  we  recognize  an  honest  Yorkshire  squire  who 
is  addressed  as  Booth  of  Killerby.  Yonder  is  a  certain 
Christopher  Mason  of  Chilton  and  one  Maynard  of  Ery- 
holme.  We  notice  too  a  young  man  with  a  keen  eye  listen- 
ing to  the  talk  of  his  elders  and  studying  closely  the  cattle 
to  be  seen  in  the  village  street.  It  is  "Tommy"  Bates, 
then  of  Northumberland.  The  day  is  spent  in  buying  and 
selling,  in  comparing  notes  as  to  how  the  new  breed  is 
coming  on,  and  all  at  last  adjourn  to  the  tap  room  of  the 
Black  Bull  inn  to  pledge  a  health  in  foaming  mugs  of  brown 
October  ale  to  the  success  of  the  new-born  breed.  Such 
is  the  opening  chapter  of  modern  Short-horn  history. 

The  scene  changes.  A  patient  plodding  figure  mounted 
on  an  old  white  nag  rides  the  winding  roadways  of  York- 
shire. Now  and  then  he  stops  at  farm  houses  along  his 
route.  Day  after  day  he  may  be  seen.  Night  after  night 
he  writes  and  writes  and  wrestles  .with  notes  and  data 
bearing  upon  the  genealogy  of  the  herds  that  are  contrib- 
uting to  the  formation  of  the  now  well-recognized  and 
rapidly-increasing  breed  known  as  the  "Improved  Short- 
horn." He  is  helped  by  some;  hindered  by  others.  It  is 
Geo.  Coates  of  Great  Smeaton,  father  of  Short-horn  pedi- 
gree registration.  Discouraged  at  first  he  at  last  enlists 
the  sympathies  of  Jonas  Whitaker  of  Otley  and  the  Eng- 
lish Short-horn  Herd  Book  is  set  upon  its  feet 

Time  passes.  Killerby  and  Kirklevington  are  the  Short- 
horn capitals.  The  genius  of  two  of  the  greatest  cattle 
breeders  the  world  has  ever  known  has  worked  wonders 
since  that  October  day  in  1810  when  under  the  lime  trees 
at  Ketton,  Ceiling's  Comet  was  sold  amidst  a  scene  of 
wild  enthusiasm  for  1,000  guineas.  The  Yorkshire  and 


APPENDIX.  879 

Royal  shows  are  organized.  Bracelet,  Necklace,  Duchess 
34th,  the  Oxford  Premium  Cow  and  the  Duke  of  Northum- 
berland come  forward  as  a  revelation.  The  friendly  con- 
tests of  John  Booth  and  Mr.  Bates  at  these  early  shows  stir 
agricultural  England  to  its  very  depths.  Such  cattle  had 
never  before  been  shown  to  the  public.  Possibly  they 
have  never  since  been  surpassed. 

From  Killerby  we  follow  Richard  Booth  to  Studley  and 
Warlaby  and  try  to  conjure  up  the  massive  figures  of 
Isabella  and  of  Anna,  or  dream  of  those  paragons  of  bovine 
beauty  the  Magnificent  Blossoms,  Brides  and  Queens.  Old 
"Cuddy"  and  Crown  Prince  and  Lady  Fragrant  are  but 
a  memory,  and  yet  how  their  names  still  shine  on  high  in 
the  Short-horn  firmament!  How  the  blood  bred  on  at 
Torr's  and  at  Lady  Pigot's,  with  Barnes  of  Westland,  with 
Raymond  Bruere,  John  Outhwaite  and  Hugh  Aylmer  of 
West  Dereham  Abbey!  How  its  vivifying  influence  was 
felt  in  the  Grand  Duchesses,  the  Duchesses  of  Airdrie  and 
the  Sittyton  tribes!  How  it  electrified  America  in  the 
forms  of  Rosedale  and  Baron  Booth  of  Lancaster!  Sub- 
stance, flesh,  beef. 

A  broad  stream  flows  out  from  the  rolling  pastures  of 
Kirklevington— Tortworth,  Thorndale,  Holker  Hall,  Geneva, 
and  New  York  Mills!  Woodburn,  Hillhurst,  Dunmore, 
Towneley,  Bow  Park,  Underley,  Audley  End,  and  Berkeley 
Castle;  percolating  through  the  entire  breed,  impressing 
the  seal  of  refinement  and  elegance  upon  all  it  touches! 
Quality,  level  lines,  milk,  and  heads  and  faces  that  fairly 
defy  the  powers  of  art! 

The  North  of  Scotland  awakens.  Robertson  and  Rennie, 
Barclay,  Hay,  Grant  Duff,  Gen.  Simson,  Hutcheson,  Sir 
William  Stirling  Maxwell,  Amos  and  Anthony  Cruick- 
shank  carry  the  gospel  of  a  new  agriculture  beyond  the 
River  Tweed.  Campbell,  Marr,  Douglas,  the  Bruces,  Syme, 
Mitchell,  Longmore,  Lovat,  Buccleuch,  Polwarth,  Duthie 
and  the  rest  make  Scotch  Short-horns  renowned  through- 
out the  cattle-breeding  world.  Sittyton  acquires  a  fame 
second  only  to  that  of  Warlaby  and  Kirklevington;  the 
credit  of  establishing  a  rent-paying,  quick-feeding  type 


880  APPENDIX. 

that  fairly  saved  a  breed,  suffering  from  all  the  evils  of 
over-indulgence   in   favorite    bloods. 

*     *     *         \ 

I  stood  one  day  at  the  spot  where  the  luxuriant  Ken- 
tucky blue-grass  runs  riot  about  the  grave  of  Abram 
Renick,  and  here  again  a  past  that  was  brimming  with 
brilliant  pictures  was  recalled — the  story  of  the  Short-horn 
in  the  Ohio  Valley  States. 

First  we  see  the  beautiful  woodland  pastures  of  Southern 
Central  Ohio  and  Central  Kentucky  filled  with  great  wide- 
backed  bullocks,  red,  red-and-white,  white,  and  roan,  con- 
verting corn  and  grass  into  prime  beef  for  seaboard  mar- 
kets. They  are  driven  by  hundreds  on  foot  through  the 
winding  defiles  of  the  Alleghanies  to  Baltimore,  Philadel- 
phia or  New  York,  and  well  filled  wallets  are  brought  back 
to  found  the  fortunes  of  leading  Ohio  Valley  families. 
These  big,  thrifty,  profitable  cattle  were  the  Pattons  and 
the  "Seventeens"— the  descendants  of  which  for  half  a 
century  held  their  own  against  the  more  fashionably-bred 
herd-book  stock  produced  by  the  later  importations.  They 
were  in  all  human  probability  as  grand  specimens  of  the 
breed  as  this  country  has  ever  known. 

Next  we  note  the  monumental  missionary  work  of  Walter 
Dun,  Col.  Powel,  the  Ohio  and  Kentucky  Importing  Com- 
panies and  of  that  greatest  of  all  patrons  of  American 
agriculture,  Robert  Aitcheson  Alexander.  Red  Rose,  Caro- 
line and  Daisy;  Rose  of  Sharon,  Young  Mary,  Young 
Phyllis;  Josephine,  Illustrious,  Harriet,  Gem,  Lady  Eliza- 
beth, Goodness,  Mazurka  and  Constance;  the  Louans,  the 
Loudon  Duchesses,  the  Brides  and  the  Dukes  and  Duch- 
esses of  Airdrie!  Britain  has  a  great  galaxy  of  names  upon 
the  Short-horn  registry  of  fame,  but  America  points  with 
pride  to  the  fact  that  the  Duns,  the  ReniCks,  the  Warfields, 
the  Bedfords,  the  Vanmeters,  the  Duncans,  the  Alexanders 
and  their  contemporaries,  East  and  West,  have  had  few 
superiors  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic  as  actual  pro- 
ducers of  high-class  cattle.  And  how  lavishly  the  Ohio 
Valley  States  dealt  out  their  treasures  to  the  newer  West! 
With  Sweepstakes  and  Minister  and  General  Grant,  Pick- 


APPENDIX.  881 

rell,  Duncan  and  Spears  fairly  set  the  Western  prairies  on 
fire  for  Short-horns.  Capt.  James  N.  Brown,  the  elder 
Leonard,  Gen.  Meredith,  Thos.  Wilhoit,  Timothy  .Day,  John 
G.  Cowan,  Col.  William  S.  King,  John  Wentworth,  John 
D.  Gillett  and  a  host  of  other  able  and  enterprising  men 
brought  the  Short-horn  home  at  last  to  the  hearts  of  the 

Western    people. 

*     *     * 

When  Rip  Van  Winkle  wandered  back  to  his  native 
haunts  on  the  Hudson  after  his  fabled  sleep  of  twenty 
years  on  the  mountain  not  a  single  soul  in  the  peaceful 
village  of  Falling  Water  gave  him  greeting.  "Did  ycu 
never  hear  of  Rip  Van  Winkle?"  the  poor  old  vagrant 
asks  in  vain.  None  had  any  recollection  of  such  an  ind  - 
vidual.  Philosophizing  then  upon  the  fleeting  character  of 
mundane  reputation  he  sounds  the  very  depths  of  human 
pathos — "Are  we  indeed  so  soon  forgotten  when  we're 
gone?  If  my  tog  Schneider  vas  here,  vhy  he  would  know 
me."  But  "Schneider"  too  is  no  longer  even  a  memory  in 
the  streets. 

My  friends,  how  easy  it  is  to  forget,  even  in  the  prac- 
tical business  of  breeding  Short-horn  cattle!  How  little 
we  know  and  how  little  most  of  us  care  about  the  men 
who  carried  forward  to  sale-ring  and  show-yard  triumphs 
the  colors  of  the  "Red,  White  and  Roan"  even  so  recently 
as  twenty  years  ago!  What  little  regard  we  seem  to  have 
for  the  memories  of  those  who  bequeathed  to  the  present 
generation  of  men  the  breed  of  which  we  are  all  so  proud, 
and  with  what  supreme  indifference  many  of  us  ignore  their 
wisest  teachings!  We  live  in  a  busy  -  age.  We  are  so 
absorbed  in  working  out  the  problems  of  to-day  that  we 
have  little  thought  for  the  yesterdays.  We  seem  to  believe 
that  no  one  else  ever  had  just  such  questions  to  solve  as 
those  by  which  we  ourselves  are  confronted,  and  that  it 
is  therefore  idle  to  appeal  to  the  past  for  direction  in  the 
present.  But  it  is  not  so.  A  great  Virginian  once  said 
upon  a  memorable  occasion:  "There  is  but  one  light  by 
which  my  feet  are  guided  and  that  is  by  the  lamp  of  ex- 
perience." The  men  who  have  made  the  Short-horn  what 


882  APPENDIX. 

it  is — the  most  widely  disseminated  breed  of  improved  cat- 
tle the  world  has  ever  seen — have  left  behind  them  mes- 
sages that^  cannot  be  too  often  repeated.  Their  voices  call 
to  you,  men  of  the  present  day,  warning  against  pitfalls 
that  beset  your  path.  The  lights  of  a  century  of  experience 
hang  all  about  you  if  you  only  have  eyes  to  see. 
*  *  * 

There  are  several  very  striking  lessons  brought  home  to 
every  student  of  Short-horn  records.  One  of  the  most 
important  is  that  in-and-in  or  line-breeding  has  its  limi- 
tations beyond  which  the  greatest  masters  of  the  art  have 
failed  of  farther  success.  Another  lesson  is  that  the  right 
use  of  the  principle  of  blood  concentration  is  the  greatest 
single  power  the  breeder  can  employ  and  that  judiciously 
applied  it  has  yielded  the  great  successes  of  Short-horn 
history.  Is  this  most  potential  factor  being  properly  and 
profitably  used  at  the  present  time?  To  this  query  I  feel 
inclined  to  return  a  most  emphatic  negative.  You  have 
marked  down  and  put  upon  the  bargain  counter  most  of 
the  elements  to  which  the  principle  of  in-breeding  might 
now  be  satisfactorily  applied.  You  are  working  generally 
with  instruments  that  have  already  been  steeled  to  such 
a  fine  edge  in  the  furnace  of  close-breeding  that  they  are 
in  many  cases  becoming  frail  and  peculiarly  liable  to  mis- 
haps. There  are  valuable  ores  lying  all  around  you  wait- 
ing for  the  touch  of  the  refining  flame  that  may  call  them 
into  popularity.  You  talk  much  of  Booth,  of  Bates,  .of 
Cruickshank  and  the  elder  Renick  and  at  the  same  time 
make  little  effort  to  follow  their  practices.  They  set  to 
work  to  build  their  fame  by  the  use  of  the  best  material 
afforded  by  the  entire  breed;  throwing  in  the  cement  of 
in-breeding  after  they  had  attained  a  certain  point.  Their 
work  was  original  and  creative.  They  were  constructors, 
builders — not  servile  imitators.  Why  do  you  limit  your 
efforts  so  largely  to  experiments  upon  the  refractory  e'e-* 
ments  of  the  in-bred  strains  of  other  days? 

The  late  Mr.  Amos  Cruickshank  assured  me  personally 
in  1892  that  his  herd  had  been  in  want  of  re-invigoration 
for  some  years  prior  to  its  sale  to  the  Messrs.  Nelson  in 


APPENDIX.  883 

1889,  and  yet  there  are  men  here  in  the  West  in  this  year 
of  our  Lord  1901  boasting  of  their  "pure  Cruickshanks," 
as  if  some  element  of  special  superiority  attached  to  that 
which  may  be  in  reality  a  downright  objection.  New  be- 
ginners who  have  yet  to  learn  the  abc's  of  Short-horn 
history  go  to  buy  a  bull  and  insist  upon  having  none  but 
a  "straight"  this  or  a  "straight"  that  when  better  cattle 
of  equally  good  or  even  better  breeding  might  be  had  for 
less  money.  If  there  are  any  such  here  I  hope  they  will 
tell  this  audience  why  it  is  that  they  commit  this  crime 
against  the  memories  and  the  teachings  of  the  very  men 
in  whose  footsteps  they  seem  to  think  they  are  following 
by  the  adoption  of  this  course.  The  makers  of  Short-horn 
history  did  not  do  business  in  this  way. 
*  *  * 

What  we  need  above  everything  else  just  now  is  some 
Moses  to  lead  the  Short-horn  hosts  out  of  the  bondage  of 
fads  and  fashions.  Some  day,  somewhere,  some  time,  a 
man  will  again  engage  in  this  pursuit  who  will  have  the 
necessary  courage  to  show  the  way;  and  I  predict  here 
and  now  that  his  triumph  will  be  as  complete  as  that  of 
the  Booths  or  Bates  or  of  Cruickshank.  He  will  be  a  real, 
not  an  imaginary  follower  of  their  methods.  He  may  use 
much,  little,  or  none  of  the  prevailing  popular  bloods.  He 
will  go  up  and  down  the  Short-horn  world  selecting  here 
and  selecting  there  that  which  seems  likely  to  contribute 
towards  the  accomplishment  of  his  settled  purpose.  He 
will  then  probably  fuse  the  mass  by  blood  concentration 
and  his  name  will  be  given  to  a  type  that  will  become  the 
new  idol  of  the  Short-horn  cattle  breeding  fraternity.  His- 
tory repeats  itself.  What  'has  been  done  can  be  done 
again.  I  glory  in  the  grit  of  the  man  here  in  this  State 
to-day  who  is  pushing  "Casey's  mixture."  He  stands  for 
a  principle  which  if  steadily  and  intelligently  pursued  will 
bring  new  laurels  to  the  temple  of  Short-horn  fame. 

During  the  past  few  years  you  have  enlarged  your  vision 
in  respect  to  the  prevailing  fashionable  blood.  You  have 
now  thrown  the  doors  wide  open  to  all  Scotland.  Time 
was  when  you  thought  that  your  sires  should  run  direct 


884  APPENDIX. 

to  Sittyton,  or  if  not  there  then  to  Kinellar  or  Uppermill, 
and  a  little  later  you  were  glad  to  have  them  trace  to 
Collynie.  Now  anything  that  looks  like  doing  you  good — 
and  some  things  that  do  not  look  so  promising — coming 
from  any  farm  that  lies  between  Berwick  Bridge  and  In- 
verness goes  unquestioned  to  the  head  of  your  herds  even 
at  four  figures,  no  matter  what  its  breeding.  While  I 
claim  some  share  in  the  credit  of  building  the  fame  of 
the  Scotch  Short-horn  in  the  Central  West,  I  also  appeal 
to  you  as  men  of  sense  and  judgment  to  be  sane  and  rea- 
sonable. I  appeal  to  you  to  extend  that  same  catholic 
spirit  which  you  are  now  showing  to  Scotland,  to  the  herds 
of  England,  and  above  all  to  the  herds  of  your  own  coun- 
try. When  this  is  done,  and  not  until  then,  you  will  begin 
to  enter  in  my  judgment  upon  another  great  chapter  in 
Short-horn  history. 

Another  lesson  drawn  from  Short-horn  records  is  that 
a  majority  of  all  the  greatest  show  and  breeding  cattle — 
account  being  taken  of  the  breed  on  both  sides  the  water — 
have  been  roans.  I  do  not  believe  it  possible  to  sustain 
the  true  Shorn-horn  thrift  and  character  for  many  genera- 
tions without  resort  to  the  roan  cattle.  Moreover  a  ma- 
jority of  the  most  impressive  sires  and  show  bulls  known 
to  the  American  trade  have  either  been  imported  or  imme- 
diately derived  from  old  country  herds — in  which  roan  is 
the  predominant  color.  Hence  I  am  inclined  to  question 
the  wisdom  of  restrictive  fees  upon  importations. 

William  Torr  of  Aylesby,  who  has  to  his  credit  the  great- 
est sale  of  cattle  of  one  man's  breeding  ever  made,  to-wit: 
eighty-five  head  for  $243,145,  an  average  of  $2,860,  always 
took  the  position  that  it  required  not  less  than  thirty  years 
of  persistent  work  to  bring  a  herd  up  to  one's  ideas  as  to 
what  a  Short-horn  ought  to  be.  It  is  one  of  the  misfor- 
tunes of  the  trade  in  the  States  that  there  are  not  more 
men  who  are  closely  wedded  to  the  production  of  high 
class  Short-horns  regardless  of  the  ups  and  downs  of  the 
business.  Of  the  buying  and  selling  of  cattle  as  mere 
merchandise  there  is  no  end,  but  those  who  have  left  per- 
manent impress  upon  the  character  of  the  breed  were  ani- 


APPENDIX.  885 

mated  by  something  more  than  the  purely  commercial 
spirit.  Men  who  are  in  the  business  to-day  and  out  of  it 
to-morrow;  men  who  do  not  maintain  close  contact  with 
and  who  have  no  real  affection  for  their  cattle;  men  who 
are  patrons  of  the  breed  only  so  long  as  the  pathway  is 
strewn  with  flowers,  are  not  the  men  who  have  been  breed- 
makers,  breed-builders  and  breed-savers. 

The  members  of  this  association  should  feel  that  they 
hold  in  trust  for  the  farmers  and  ranchmen  of  our  country 
a  legacy  that  is  beyond  all  price;  an  inheritance  the  in- 
tegrity of  which  they  have  no  right  to  jeopardize  through 
the  application  of  practices  not  sanctioned  by  those  who 
created  it.  Are  you  acting  well  your  part?  That  is  a 
question  for  each  and  every  one  to  ask  himself  at  this  time. 
Read  the  whole  story;  recall  the  wonders  wrought  in  flesh 
and  blood  by  others  in  your  calling;  study  your  own  herd 
and  ask  yourself:  Am  I  a  worthy  member  of  this  fra- 
ternity or  not?  Am  I  doing  honestly  all  I  can  to  help 
preserve  and  strengthen  the  cattle  in  my  keeping? 

It  is  indeed  well  to  know  all  we  can  of  Short-horn  his- 
tory. It  is  better  still  to  contribute  something  useful  to  it. 


"WHAT'S   IN   A   NAME?" 

ADDRESS  BY  ALVIN  H.  SANDERS  AT  THE  CENTRAL,  SHORT-HORN 
BREEDERS'  CONVENTION  AT  ST.  JOSEPH,  MO.,  JAN.,  1904. 

The  query  put  to  me  by  your  Secretary  is  one  that  has 
caused  dissensions  among  men  from  time  immemorial.  It 
was  centuries  ago,  according  to  the  master  poet,  that  the 
fair  and  hapless  Juliet  answered  the  question  in  words 
that  have  been  repeated  by  successive  generations — "that 
which  we  call  a  rose,  by  any  other  name  would  smell  as 
sweet."  The  feud  in  old  Verona  that  forbade  the  union 
of  the  two  fond  lovers,  because  forsooth  one's  name  was 
Montague  and  the  other  Capulet,  has  many  parallels  in 


APPENDIX. 

human  song  and  story.  Romeo  was  neither  the  first  nor 
the  last  man  to  discover  that  a  mere  name  may  prove 
an  insurmountable  obstacle;  and  what  has  proved  so  true 
in  human  affairs  has  not  been  without  influence  upon 
the  destinies  of  other  of  God's  creatures.  Those  who  have 
in  their  keeping  the  character  and  reputation  of  one  of  the 
most  useful  of  all  known  breeds  of  domestic  animals — 
the  type  of  cattle  represented  in  the  herds  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  association — have  attached  at  all  times  much 
significance  to  names;  justly  so  in  many  instances  but  to 
their  own  grievous  injury  in  others.  The  question,  there- 
fore, of  the  extent  to  which  you,  as  Short-horn  breeders, 
shall  lay  stress  upon  mere  names  as  contrasted  with  more 
substantial  attributes  is  one  of  more  importance  than 
would  at  first  appear. 

Entering  within  the  walls  of  the  Short-horn  world,  we 
are  struck  at  once  by  a  multiplicity  of  names.  We  are 
told  that  within  the  memory  of  those  still  living  there 
was  civil  war  among  factions  ostensibly  claiming  allegiance 
to  the  same  flag.  That  those  warring  clans  taking  each 
the  name  of  some  great  leader  sought  by  every  known 
means  to  grasp  supreme  power  and  hold  their  brothers 
in  subjection.  It  was  in  many  cases  a  war  of  extermina- 
tion. Whole  families  once  recognized  as  the  very  flower 
of  the  race  are  gone  from  the  roster  rolls  forever — vict  ms 
of  the  feuds  of  long  ago.  The  stranger  within  the  gates 
hears  the  names  of  Bates,  of  the  Booths,  of  Knightley,  of 
"Alloy,"  of  Towneley,  of  Cruickshank,  of  Renick,  of  Dukes 
and  Duchesses,  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky  Rose  of  Sharons,  of 
Princesses,  Josephines,  Marys,  Phyllises,  "Seventeens," 
"Cox  importations,"  Red  Roses  by  Ernesty,  "Woods"  and 
hundreds  more.  He  hears  of  strange  combinations  of  these 
and  other  names,  such  as  Bell-Bates,  Torr-Booth,  "pure" 
this  and  "straight"  that;  he  hears  of  a  half  dozen  different 
varieties  of  Young  Marys,  Leslie,  Red  Rose,  Flat  Creek, 
Xalapa,  etc.,  etc.  He  hears  that  Duke  of  Airdrie  (12730) 
was  all  right  but  that  Duke  of  Airdrie  2743  was  all  wrong. 
He,  therefore,  imagines  that  he  is  in  a  labyrinth  from 
which  only  a  learned  antiquarian  can  extricate  him.  Hap- 


APPENDIX.  887 

pily  these  names  for  the  most  part  relate  to  issues  and 
matters  long  since  relegated  to  the  limbo  of  things  which 
were  but  are  not.  The  barriers  that  once  reared  their 
bulk  at  almost  every  turn  are  falling  before  the  light  of 
reason  and  common  sense.  There  was  a  time  when  there 
was  much — altogether  too  much — in  all  these  names;  but  a 
new  day  is  dawning.  The  banners  of  individual  families 
and  leaders  are  being  lowered  and  furled,  and  knives  are 
being  returned  to  their  sheaths,  in  the  presence  of  the 
broad  tri-color  of  the  breed  itself  that  now  floats  trium- 
phant over  all.  The  hour  is  almost  here  when  it  will  be 
enough  to  know  that  an  animal  is  simply  a  Short-horn, 
and  mere  tribal  or  family  derivations  will  no  longer  usurp 
the  place  of  honest  worth. 

One  great  step  towards  a  complete  restoration  of  the 
'reign  of  reason  in  Short-horn  circles  must  be  to  forget 
many  of  the  names  under  which  the  old  factional  fights 
were  waged.  There  are  thousands  of  cattle  that  served  in 
the  ranks  during  the  old  wars  under  such  names  as  Marys, 
Phyllises,  Louans,  Desdemonas,  Mrs.  Motts,  etc.,  that  are 
to  this  day  told  by  some  to  stand  in  the  presence  of  their 
alleged  superiors,  on  the  assumption  that  they  are  still  of 
what  was  once  frowned  upon  as  plebeian  blood.  These 
should  have  their  commercial  disabilities  removed.  The 
war  is  over.  A  general  amnesty  is  in  order.  Let  me  ex- 
plain. 

Turning  to  the  Short-horn  Herd  Book  at  random  I  find 
the  following  entry: 

"Gem  of  Oakland  4th;  red,  calved  March,  1884,  bred  by 
J.  H.  Potts  &  Son,  got  by  imp.  Von  Tromp  54160  out  of 
Gem  of  Oakland  3d  (vol.  25,  p.  1130)  by  Prince  of  Athel- 
stane  40370— tracing  to  imp.  Desdemona  by  Frederick 
(1060)." 

We  have  been  taught  to  rate  this  cow  as  belonging  to 
the  Desdemona  family,  and  yet  it  would  take  several  yards 
of  paper  to  tabulate  the  full  pedigree  to  the  point  where 
imp.  Desdemona  would  finally  appear.  She  would  then  be 
found  at.  the  bottom  of  the  last  right-hand  column  buried 
so  deeply  under  other  bloods  that  all  the  microscopes  in 


888  APPENDIX. 

Christendom  could  scarcely  find  a  drop  of  Desdemona  left. 
Still  the  cow  is  bought  and  sold  under  herd  book  approval 
as  "just  a  plain  Desdemona — one  of  the  old-fashioned 
sort,"  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  she  is  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  of  the  best  Aberdeenshire  blood!  In  plain 
terms  if  Desdemona  is  reached  in  the  fourteenth  remove 
she  will  simply  be  one  among  16,384  other  recorded  ani- 
mals appearing  in  this  cow's  pedigree,  any  one  of  which 
has  just  as  good  a  right  to  give  its  name  to  Gem  of  Oak- 
land 4th!  She  is  no  more  a  descendant  of  Desdemona  than 
of  thousands  of  other  cows.  Now  for  the  important  fact; 
the  Desdemonas  were  not  in  the  Short-horn  "smart  set" 
in  the  old  days  of  speculation  in  pedigree.  Under  the 
present  system  they  must,  nevertheless,  continue  to  bear 
that  name  and  be  rated  accordingly,  despite  the  fact  that 
there  is  none  of  the  blood  of  poor  old  Desdemona  left.  The 
time  has  come  when  this  absurd  "tracing"  reference  as 
printed  in  the  herd  book  should  cease.  Even  if  it  had 
some  real  significance  in  the  old  days  it  has  absolutely 
none  at  the  present  time.  This  of  course  opens  up  a  dis- 
cussion of  the  whole  scheme  of  family  nomenclature  in 
Short-horn  cattle.  From  the  earliest  periods  breeders  of 
Short-horns  have  classified  their  cattle  into  families  by  ref- 
erence to  the  maternal  side  of  the  tree  only.  I  can  see  why 
in  the  recording  of  the  earliest  foundation  stock  this  might 
have  had  some  justification  in  the  judgment  of  the  fathers 
of  the  breed.  When  all  was  chaos  as  regards  pedigree,  such 
men  as  Colling,  Bates  and  the  elder  Booth  were  in  the 
habit  of  buying  select  cows  wherever  they  could  find  them. 
Colling  ran  across  Lady  Maynard  at  Eryholme.  Bates  hit 
upon  the  Duchess  heifer  at  Darlington  market  and  Thos. 
Booth  Sr.  found  the  first  Halnaby  at  the  same  local  fair. 
Each  thought  that  he  had  a  prize  and  Bates  openly  boasted 
after  he  had  acquired  his  original  Duchess  that  from  her 
he  would  produce  Short-horns  such  as  the  world  had 
never  seen  before.  And  he  came  near  "making  good"; 
although  as  shown  on  page  101  of  "Short-horn  Cattle," 
the  greatest  of  the  so-called  Duchess  bulls,  the  Duke  of 
Northumberland,  carried  far  more  of  Stephenson's  Prin- 


APPENDIX. 

cess  blood  than  of  the  Duchess.  The  claim  being  set  up 
that  such  cows  as  Lady  Maynard  and  the  original  Duchess 
were  much  better  than  any  other  cows  in  the  district  in 
which  the  improving  of  the  Teeswater  cattle  was  in  prog- 
ress, it  naturally  followed  that  those  who  had  immediate 
descendants  of  those  few  outstanding  cows  should  use  the 
name  of  the  female  for  which  such  superlative  merit  was 
claimed  in  designating  the  progeny  even  unto  the  second 
and  third  generations,  regardless  of  what  part  the  bulls 
used  might  have  had  in  the  production  of  the  younger 
cattle.  It  gave  money  value  to  the  grandsons  and  grand- 
daughters, the  great-grandsons  and  great-granddaugh- 
ters to  say  that  they  were  descended  direct  from 
such  and  such  a  famous  cow.  Hence  the  printing  of  the 
pedigrees  in  such  way  as  to  bring  out  that  fact  to  the 
virtual  exclusion  of  all  others.  This  system  once  adopted 
has  been  continued  by  Short-horn  breeders  to  the  present 
day. 

Historians  tell  us  that  in  the  lowest  unorganized  forms 
of  society,  when  savagery  and  barbarism  held  sway,  it  was 
the  universal  rule  that  hereditary  rights  and  property 
descended  through  the  mother.  The  reason  for  this  is 
apparent.  There  was  no  such  thing  as  fixed  habitations 
or  famliy  relations.  There  might  be  doubt  as  to  the  pa- 
ternity of  a  child  born  under  such  a  system,  but  there 
could  be  none  as  to  the  maternal  side  of  the  case.  Names 
and  titles  passed,  therefore,  from  mother  to  offspring  in- 
stead of  from  the  father,  as  in  civilized  society  It  thus 
appears  that  in  tracing  descent  through  the  dam  and  in 
naming  families  from  a  foundation  dam,  Short-horn  breed- 
ers have  simply  perpetuated  a  relic  of  barbarism  which 
long  since  should  have  given  way  to  a  more  rational  sys- 
tem. There  is  no  question  as  to  the  paternity  of  Short- 
horn calves.  Under  our  system  of  breeding  and  registra- 
tion the  sire  is  absolutely  known.  Why  then  must  we 
revert  to  the  methods  of  the  aborigines  of  the  wilderness 
in  undertaking  to  show  the  derivation  of  the  progeny? 

My  proposition  is  that  the  Short-horn  assoc'ation  should 
drop  the  words  "tracing  to*"  imp.  so  and  so  in  recording 


890  APPENDIX. 

cattle,  and  that  breeders  should  cease  using  the  words 
Mary,  Phyllis,  Josephine,  etc.,  in  their  advertisements,  be- 
cause they  mean  nothing  and  set  up  false  standards  of 
comparison.  Moreover,  they  should  also  adopt  as  rapidly 
as  public  sentiment  will  warrant,  the  tabulated  form  of 
printing  their  pedigrees  for  public  distribution.  Let  us 
stop  this  childish  listing  of  Desdemonas,  etc.,  and  speak 
of  cattle  as  Scotch-topped  American,  Scotch-crossed  Eng- 
lish, Bates-topped  Scotch,  or  in  such  other  manner  as  shall 
convey  some  tangible  idea  of  the  blood  elements  actually 
present.  I  suggest  a  resolution  requesting  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  Short-horn  association  to  cease  making 
these  misleading  and  worse-than-worthless  family  refer- 
ences in  the  herd  book.  This  is  the  first  step  towards 
the  complete  elevation  of  breed  above  faction. 

More  care  should  be  exercised  in  the  naming  of  calves 
being  put  on  record.  In  the  case  of  the  individual  animal 
there  is  something  in  a  name.  True  no  high-sounding 
title  will  add  an  inch  to  the  spring  of  rib  or  reduce  in 
the  least  the  length  of  leg;  at  the  same  time  it  is  wrong 
to  burden  a  good  beast  with  a  name  that  is  positively 
inappropriate  or  flippant.  One  common  mistake  is  con- 
structing a  name  that  is  altogether  too  long.  This  evil 
finally  reached  such  proportions  that  the  Board  of  Directors 
of  the  association  had  to  pass  a  rule  limiting  the  number 
of  words  that  can  be  used  in  naming  Short-horns  to  four. 
Ordinarily  two  words  are  sufficient;  and  one  is  better  still. 
For  my  part  I  do  not  approve  of  using  either  the  name  of 
the  farm  or  the  name  of  the  owner  in  christening  Short- 
horn babies.  This  is  at  best  a  cheap  form  of  advertising 
and  such  names  are  not  liked  by  those  who  buy  the  cattle. 
In  the  naming  of  bulls  we  find  in  the  books  innumerable 
instances  where  the  owners  have,  unwittingly  perhaps, 
discredited  their  own  work  by  employing  a  word  or  words 
little  short  of  insulting  to  any  self-respecting,  well-bred 
animal. 

Such  names  as  Bob,  Bud,  Kid,  Mike,  Dad,  Eli,  etc.,  are  all 
well  enough  around  the  barn,  but  they  do  not  lend  dignity 
to  a  pedigree;  nevertheless  there  are  hundreds  of  pure- 


APPENDIX.  891 

bred  bulls  registered  under  such  names.  Running  hur- 
riedly through  a  few  volumes  of  the  herd  book  I  find  a  lot 
of  bulls  have  gone  on  record  under  such  names  as  Block- 
head 189243,  Whiskers  141068,  Ground  Hog  142116,  Rocky 
Bill  198097,  Cross  Eyed  Buck  142424,  Weary  Willie  194224, 
Beefsteak  184963,  Goo  Goo  Eyes  187886,  But  Cut  143983, 
Ring  Tail  169891,  Fishback  148235,  Dinkey  146549,  Quick 
Relief  193785,  One-Eyed  Riley  141000,  Young  Saloon  110719, 
Podunk  125527,  Apple  138778,  Toad  141007,  Buster  142718, 
Cantaloupe  96573,  Grasshopper  98359  and  Hat  Box  141342. 
Now  this  sort  of  thing  may  contribute  to  the  hilarity  of  the 
trade,  but  is  it  fair  by  the  bulls?  Heifers  do  not  seem  to 
have  been  made  the  butt  of  jokes  to  such  an  extent  as 
their  brothers.  One  tendency  has  been  to  load  them  down 
with  names  longer  than  the  moral  law,  as  for  example: 
Peri  Duchess  of  Paddie's  Run  2d,  Duchess  of  Clarence  of 
Cottage  Home  3d,  Miss  Bates  2d  of  Mount  Pleasant  Town- 
ship, llth  Kirklevington  Duchess  of  French  Creek,  Maud 
Muller  4th  of  Native  Grove  Farm,  Kirklevington  Duchess 
of  Libertyville  3d  and  Airdrie  Lizzie  of  Mush  Run.  I  find 
a  cow  called  Eagle  and  another  registered  as  Klondike. 
Then  there  is  Pleasant  Home  Spot  and  Mother's  Baby. 
Bulls  also  catch  some  long  appellations,  such  as  The  Man 
from  Glengarry,  Dugan  Duke  of  Cedardale  146914,  Red 
Coat  of  Silver  Creek  Valley  and  B.  &  R.  &  I.  Grand  Duke 
of  Wild  Eyes  195175.  Then  there  are  queer  combinations, 
such  as  Sir  Lulu  145771,  Lord  Major  Miller  140318,  and  the 
Duke  of  4th  of  July  141138.  As  a  newspaper  man  I  was 
impressed  by  the  name  of  Sample  Copy  110091  and  Gazette 
148822. 

It  is  manifestly  impossible  to  lay  down  any  specific  rules 
upon  the  subject  of  naming  cattle.  All  we  can  do  is  to 
make  general  suggestions.  First,  don't  use  long  names; 
second,  don't  employ  "slangy"  or  trashy  names;  third, 
don't  use  the  name  of  your  farm;  fourth,  don't  tack  on 
your  own  name;  fifth,  don't  perpetuate  ancient  and  mis- 
leading family  names,  for  this  is  pure  and  simple  "tommy 
rot";  sixth,  don't  give  masculine  names  to  females  and 
vice  versa;  seventh,  don't  use  hackneyed,  worn-out,  com- 


892  APPENDIX. 

monplace  names;  eighth,  don't  use  Duke  and  Duchess, 
Lord  and  Lady,  Baron  and  Countess  and  other  titles  of 
the  aristocracy;  these  have  been  worked  to  a  "frazzle." 
Try  and  choose  names  that  sound  well,  look  well  in  type, 
and  so  far  as  possible  give  some  little  clue  to  the  immedi- 
ate ancestry. 

Probably  none  of  the  great  herds  in  Short-horn  history 
ever  carried  so  many  euphonious  and  carefully  chosen 
names  as  the  cattle  of  the  Messrs.  Booth.  Rare  judgment 
was  used  at  Killerby,  Studley  and  Warlaby  in  this  matter. 
Groups  of  closely  related  animals  were  given  names  that 
had  a  corresponding  relation.  When  one  chances  upon  the 
names  for  example  of  Campfollower,  Soldier's  Bride,  Vivan- 
diere  and  Brigade  Major  one  knows  these  animals  were 
near  kin.  Twin  heifers  were  named  Bracelet  and  Neck- 
lace. If  Isabella  had  a  heifer  calf  by  Buckingham  it  would 
go  on  record  very  likely  as  Isabella  Buckingham.  Happy 
also  were  many  of  the  names  employed  at  Sittyton — most 
of  these  being  assigned,  I  believe,  by  Anthony  Cruick- 
shank's  accomplished  son  John  W.  Alliteration  came  into 
play  here  with  satisfactory  results.  Secrets  were  given 
short  names  beginning  with  the  letter  S  and  so  on  through 
the  list.  Col.  Harris  followed  this  up  at  Linwood  in  cer- 
tain cases. 

The  names  of  flowers  have  been  used  among  heifers 
with  happy  effect  in  some  noted  herds.  Bulls  should  have 
names  reflecting  if  possible  vigor  and  power.  Individuality 
should  be  aimed  at  in  all  instances.  Why  list  a  cow  as 
Fanny  or  Daisy  or  Mary  when  the  index  to  the  herd  book 
shows  thousands  have  already  been  recorded  under  those 
names  Think  up  something  original  and  apropos.  Delve 
into  mythology,  history,  poetry  and  fiction  and  you  will 
find  much  material  that  will  assist  you  in  getting  out  of 
the  rut.  This  may  take  time  and  research,  but  you  will 
be  more  than  repaid  by  the  pleasure  it  will  ultimately 
afford  you  to  know  that  your  animals  have  been  sent  out 
to  do  their  work  and  have  gone  down  into  Short-horn  his- 
tory under  names  that  sound  well,  look  well  and  indicate 
that  you  have  been  giving  attention  and  thought  even  to 


APPENDIX.  893 

those  minor  details  of  your  business.  Inappropriate,  out- 
landish or  well-worn  names  may  convey  to  the  outsider 
the  impression  that  you  are  not  taking  that  interest  in 
your  herd  that  is  necessary  to  success.  Little  straws  indi- 
cate the  direction  of  the  wind.  The  naming  of  your  cattle 
is  not  an  unimportant  matter.  There  is  not  enough  care 
taken  in  this  regard  and  I  urge  you  all  to  give  the  mattsr 
more  consideration. 

And  now  as  to  the  name  of  the  breed  itself.  On  my 
way  to  the  late  convention  at  Portland,  Ore.,  I  fell  in 
with  a  New  England  farmer  who  told  me  that  he  owned 
about  75  head  of  "Durhams."  In  the  course  of  our  con- 
versation he  asked  me  if  I  thought  the  "Red  Durhams" 
were  really  any  better  than  the  "blue"  ones.  He  spoke 
of  the  Red  Durhams  as  if  he  thought  them  a  distinct  type. 
By  "blue"  I  at  once  assumed  that  he  meant  the  one  dis- 
tinctive color  of  the  breed.  In  replying  I  made  use  of 
the  words  "roan"  and  "Short-horn"  and  commented  upon 
"Durhams"  as  being  a  virtually  obsolete  word.  He  re- 
plied, "Well,  of  course,  we  know  what  you  mean  when 
you  say  Short-horn;  but  our  farmers  stick  to  the  Dur- 
hams." Under  that  sign  the  improved  Teeswater  breed 
made  its  early  conquests  on  those  granite  hills,  and  I 
imagine  the  old-fashioned  type  of  big-framed  table-backed 
oxen  will  continue  to  win  prizes  at  the  New  England 
county  fairs  and  continue  to  serve  the  good  farmers  of 
that  section  in  the  yoke  for  many  years  to  come.  Never- 
theless, the  name  of  the  breed  is  Short-horn.  Such  is  the 
legend  on  both  the  English  and  American  Herd  Books,  and 
what  indeed  is  in  that  name? 

For  answer  roll  back  the  curtain  of  a  century  past  and 
call  into  being  the  myriad  herds  that  have  trod  the  pas- 
tures of  two  hemispheres  under  that  appellation!  There 
they  are  in  all  their  beauty;  clad  in  their  coats  of  many 
colors,  gracing  the  beauteous  landscapes  of  "merrie"  Eng- 
land, grazing  the  green  pastures  of  sunny  France,  reveling 
in  the  blue-grass  and  the  stalk-fields  of  the  United  States, 
fattening  among  the  straw-stacks  and  turnip-fields  of 
Aberdeenshire,  filling  the  feed-lots  of  Canada,  ridding  the 


894  APPENDIX. 

Texans  of  their  horns  and  putting  meat  and  thrift  under 
their  hides,  roaming  the  ranges  of  Australia  and  the  Ar- 
gentine; known,  valued,  appreciated  wherever  symmetry 
and  feeding  quality  are  sought  in  the  agricultural  world! 
There  is,  therefore,  that  in  the  Short-horn  name  that 
should  bring  the  glow  of  an  honest  pride  into  the  heart 
of  every  man  who  owns  one.  There  is  that  in  this  name 
which  should  command  you  to  cast  out  sordid  selfishness 
and  stand  up  for  the  breed  in  its  entirety,  resolved  to  do 
nothing  by  word  or  act  which  will  in  any  way  imperil 
its  future.  There  is  that  in  the  grand  old  name  of  Short- 
horn which  should  inspire  all  who  love  the  breed  with  that 
same  ambition  which  moved  the  Athenian  youth  of  old  to 
exclaim:  "The  trophies  of  Miltiades  will  not  let  me  sleep." 


INDEX. 


Acmon   (1606).   210.  Barmpton    Rose,    151. 

Adams'      Luther,      importations,  Barmpton  Hoses,  608. 

1886,    762.  Barmpton   Sales,   50. 

Adams'   last  importation,  761.  Baron   Booth   of  Lancaster,  369. 

Additional    importations    in    1875,  Baron    Cruickshank    106297,     795. 

505.  Baron   Lavender   2d,    734. 

Aduiah,    596.  Baron  Lewis,  376,  425. 

Adoption  of  Bates  type  aud  meth-  Baron  Victor,   730. 

ods,  329.  Baronet    (lt>14),    622. 

Airdrie   2478,   298,   300.  Bashful   2d.  755. 

Airdrie    Duchess,     an,     sells    for  Bates-bred    cattle    in    1881,    B44. 

$23,600,    518.  Bates,     early     studies    in    cattle 
Airdne  Duchesses  at  $18,000  each,  breeding,    69. 

482.  Bates,   original  investments,  72. 

Airdrie    Duchesses,    first   of,   265.  Bates,  Thos.,  and  the  Duchesses, 


Aiidrie  Duke  5306,  309. 

A  line  of  Cruickshanks,  708. 

Albion    (14),    59. 


68. 


Bates,    Thos.,    to    Kirklevington, 

84. 
Alexander,    importation  of,   July,     Bates,  Thos.,  death  of,  115. 

1853,  266.  Bates,     last    appearance    in    the 

show-yard,  106. 
Bates  to  Renick,  213. 
Beattie,    Simon,    331. 
Becar,    N.    J.,    240. 
Beck  Taylor,  314. 
Bell-Bates  tribes,   106. 


Alexander,    R.    A.   of    Woodburn, 

263. 

Alexandrians,    658. 
Alice's  Prince  122593,  742. 
Allen,   Lewis  F.,   283. 
"Alloy"   blood,   42. 
American    Fat   Stock    Show,  -646,     Bell  Doke  of  Airdrie,  294. 

808.  Belle,     722. 

An  eaily  New  York  importation,     Belvedere    (1706),   84. 

169.  Bertram,    Isd. 

Anemone,    633.  Beits,   E.  L.,  385. 

Auna  by    Pilot,   63. 
Arabella,   211. 
Arabellas,  The,   180. 


Bessies,   The,   658. 

Billy,   561. 

muudiao,    ii«t,   j.wu.  Birth  of  SL  "boom,"  377. 

Argentine  and  the  shambles,  776.     Blossoms,    the,    131. 
Athabasca  (4359),   665.  Bolden,  S.  E.,  384. 

Athelstane  blood   in  Canada,  679.     Booth 
A\alanche,    606. 
Avery    &    Murphy    sale,    479. 
Aylesby   Annas,    the,   501. 
Aylesby    Flowers,    the,   500. 
Azalea,    607. 

Bakewell   experiments,   28. 
Balco,    imp.,    339. 
Barbarossa,   68197,   732. 
Barclay    of    Ury,    558. 


Barker's,  Win.,  bull,  21. 

Barmptou  (37763),  642 
Barmpton   farm,   30. 


cross     disappointing     at 
Kinellar,   653. 

Booth   herds  foundation,   55. 
Booth  method  of  breeding,   138. 
Booth,   Jno.   at   Killerby,   66. 
Booth,    Richard,    123. 
Booth,    Richard,   of   Studley,   62. 
Booth,  Richard,  death  of,  137. 
Booth,   Thos.,   57,   124. 
Booths  for  New  York  Mills,  396. 
Booth's,    Jno.,    sale,    1852,    122. 
Booths,    the,    117. 
Bow   Park   herd,   511. 


Barmpton    Hero    (324   C.    H.    B.),     Bow  Park,  sale  in  1879,  536. 
690.  Bow   Park,  sales  in  1881,  542. 

(895) 


896 


INDEX. 


Bracelet,    119. 

Bracelets,  the,  61. 

Bra witt   Bud,    568. 

Brawith  Buds,   602. 

Breastplate,    475. 

Bride,    132. 

Bride  Elect,  132. 

Brides,    the,   294. 

Bridesmaid,   132. 

British  Fla*>,   imp.,  425. 

Britisher  (sieer),  747. 

Broadhooks    family,    592. 

Brooks,  A.   S.,  342. 

Broughtons,    118. 

Brown,     Hon.     Geo.,     and     Bow 
Park,  511. 

Brown,    Geo.   Hon.,   death,   538. 

Brown's  Jas.,  red  bull,  21. 

Brown,   Jas.   N.,  277,   834. 

Brown,   Jas.   N.  &  Sons,   814. 

Brown,    Wm.    Judge,    335. 

Bruce,     Robt.,    767-8. 

Buchan   Hero    (3238),   570. 

Buckingham,    120. 

Buckingham    and    other    celebri- 
ties,  128. 

Burnside  4618,   330. 

Butterfly,   _>y   Matadore,  594. 

Butterfly   at    Sittyton,   593. 

Cambridge   Premium  cow,   95. 

Campfollower,    135. 

Campbell  of   Kinellar,   649. 

Campbell   and    Walcott,    390. 

Campbell    buys   The    Pacha,    663. 

Canada  West  Farm  Stock  Asso- 
•  elation,  513. 

Canadian     inportations,     miscel- 
laneous,   695. 

Captain    Balco    (12546),    648. 

Carmine,   626. 

Carmine  Rose,  616. 

Caroline,    281,    289. 

Carr,   Wm.,   27. 

Challenger  (14252),   254,   292. 

Champion     of     England     (17526), 
630,    HO. 

Champion     of     England     blood, 
concentration   of,   636. 

Charity,    127. 

Cherub,    imp.,    11505,    438. 

Cherub  4th   (83359),   664. 

Cicely  sort,   the,   606. 

Clara  by  M-homed,  594. 

Claras,  the,  659. 

Clarence    Kirklevington,    514. 

Clarendon  (14280),  661. 

Clark  Co.   (O.)  Co.,  260. 

Clarke  Co.   (Ky.)   Importing  Co., 
421. 

Clay's      Importations      to      Ken- 
tucky, 215. 

Cleopatra,    185. 

Clinton     Co.     (O.)     Association., 
259. 


Cleveland   Lads,   91. 
Clipper  by  Billy,  597. 
Clipper  cow,  561. 
Clipper    tribe,    596, 
Closing  events  of  1874,  468. 
Closing   events    of   1875,    508. 
Closing    events    of   1876,    620. 
Closing    events'    of    the    century, 

712. 

Cochrane,   M.    H.,   392. 
Cochrane  sale  in  1880,  538. 
Cochrane's   sale   at   Windermere, 

527. 

Cold  Cream   (white  cow),  157. 
Colling,  Robt.,  45. 
Collings,    The,   30. 
Collings,    pre-eminence    of,    54. 
Collynie,    669. 
Color,  853. 
Columbian    Exposition    awards, 

791. 

Columbian    records,    827. 
Comet   (155),  61. 
Comet   Star,    9676,    347. 
Commodore   (54118),   769. 
Constance,   281. 
Constance  of  Lyndale,  414. 
Constitution,        character        and 

conformation,  856. 
Cornell,   Ezra,   381. 
Cossack    (3503),    300.    318. 
Count  Lavender  (60545),  775. 
Countess,   62. 
Cowan,  Jno.  G.,  428. 
Cowan,   J.   G.,  sale  of,  1875,  489. 
Cox  importation,  170. 
Crane,  Albert,  of  Durham  Park, 

490. 
Crane  pays  $23,600  for  an  Airdrie 

Duchess,    518. 
Craven   Knight,   imp.,   96923,   735, 

736. 

Crocus,   606. 

Crossing  the  border,  553. 
Crown  Prince,  125,   127. 
Cruickshank,     Amos,     of     Sitty- 
ton,   676. 

Cruickshank,   Amos,   sketch,   777. 
Cruickshank,   Anthony,  583. 
Cruickshank  brothers,  680. 
Cruickshank   cattle  at  American 

shows,     679. 
Cruickshank    cows    at    Collynie, 

770. 

Cruickshank,    Edward,    668. 
Cruickshank  type  and  character, 

577. 

Culshaw,  Joe.,  610. 
Cumberland   (46144),   642. 
Cupbearer   Imp.   (52692),    750,   759. 
Cupbearer,  sketch,  783. 
Curtis,   Wm.   &   Son,   345. 
Dairy  capacity,   821. 
Daisy,    31. 


INDEX. 


897 


Daniels,    Richard,    429. 

Davidson,    Jas.    I.,    685. 

Day,    Timothy,   350. 

DeGraff,   Col.   Chas.,  540. 

Devonshire,    182. 

Dexter  Park  auctions,   478. 

Diamond    (11357),    254,    294. 

Dick   Taylor,   308. 

Dispersion    of    Barclay    of    Ury, 

563. 
Dispersion  of  Thos.  Bates'  herd, 

107. 

Doctor    Buckingham    (14405),    621. 
Douglas    of    Athelstaneford,    646. 
Dryden,    Hon.    John,   689. 
Dryden    importation   in   1887,    693. 
Dual-purpose  breed,   a,  800. 
Duchess    blood,    74. 
Duchess    exported     to     England, 

379. 

Duchess  females',  112. 
Duchess,    original   cow,   30. 
Duchess     sale,     last     successful, 

1888,    763. 
Duchess  tribe,  68. 
Duchess  of  Airdrie,  266. 
Duchess   of  Athol,   265. 
Duchess   1st,   75. 
Duchess   34th,   96-7. 
Duchess   51st,    383. 
Duchess    66th,    243. 
Duchess   97th,  394. 
1st  Duchess   of  Oneida,   446. 
7th   Duchess  of  Oneida,  446. 
8th   Duchess   of  Geneva,   450. 
8th  Duchess  of  Oneida,  534. 
10th    Duchess   of    Geneva.    447. 
Duchesses   of   Gloster,    604. 
Duff  of  Eden,  566. 
"Duke"   bull,    69. 
"Duke"    bulls    in    demand,    400. 
Duke  of  Airdrie,  2743,  296. 
Duke    of    Airdrie,     imp.     (12730), 

266,   291. 

Duke  of  Connaught,   494. 
Duke  of  Devonshire  Short-horns, 

534. 

Duke  of  Northumberland,   98. 
Duke   of   Noxubee,    723. 
Duke    of   Richmond,    imp.,   21525, 

517,   698,   703. 

Duke  of  Wellington,    230. 
"Duke"    the    first    for    America, 

239. 

2d    Duke    of    Athol    (11378),    265. 
2d  Duke  of  Geneva  5562,  305. 
2d    Duke    of    Hillhurst,    alleged 

sale  of,  464. 

2d  Duke  of  Oneida  9926,  447. 
2d   Duke  of  Oxford   (9046),   106. 
4th  Duke  of  Clarence,  513. 
4th  Duke  of  Geneva,  457. 
4th  Duke  of  Thorndale.  2790,  3SO. 
8th   Duke   ot  Tregunter.    722. 


14th    Duke    of   Thorndale   brings 

$17.900,  519. 

15th  Duke  of  Airdrie,  357. 
Dun  and  Smith  sale,  1838,  188. 
Dun's,  Walter,  importations,  186. 
Duncan,   Jere,   296. 
Duncan,    W.    R.,    355. 
Duncan's   Duke,   298. 
Duncan's   W.   R.,   sale,   415. 
Dunmore's  big  deal,   436. 
Dunmore  sale   in  1875,   493. 
Durham   cow,   176. 
Dutch    cattle,    19. 
Duthie,   Wm.,    669. 
Earl  Ducie  sale  in  England,  242. 
Earl     Dunmore's     s'ale     in     1S72, 

426. 

Earl  Spencer,   146. 
Early  breeders,   20. 
Elbert  &  Fall,  814. 
Eliza  by   Brutus,   596. 
Elliott  &  Kent,  472. 
Emmas,   the,   660. 
English  sales  in  1878,  533. 
English  sales  of  1873,  458. 
Exportations   to    England,    420. 
Fairfax  Royal   (6987),   616. 
Fairholme   experiment,    58. 
Faith,  126. 

Falling  market  in  1878,   532. 
Fancy   by   Billy,    595. 
Fanny    Airdrie    "nick,"    706. 
Farewells,    118. 
Farmer's   cow.    13. 
Favorite    (252),    38. 
Fawcett's  bull,   34. 
Fawkes  of  Farnley  Hall,  158. 
Fayette    County    Importing    Co., 

217. 

Feed-lot       consideration       para- 
mount,  552. 

Feed-lot    favorites,    802. 
Feeding  for  seaboard  markets,  19. 
Field     Marshal     (47870)     at     Col- 

lynie,   772. 

First   Bates   bull   for   Ky.,   223. 
First    importations    to    America, 

164. 
First    Short-horns    west    of    the 

Mississippi,    348. 
Fitz  Leonard   (7110),   565. 
Flatt  sale  in  1899,  796. 
Foggathorpe   family,   104. 
Foljambe,   36. 
Forbes  sale  in  1899,  796. 
Forest  Grove  sale,  787. 
Forth    (17866),    632. 
Foundation  stock,  21. 
Fox  sale  la  r*77,  531. 
Frederick      William      and      "the 

twins,"  707. 
Galloway   cross,    42. 
Gambetta    (4961S;,    744. 
"G"    and    VM"   tribes,    501. 


INDEX. 


Gay   Monarch,  92411,   794. 

General  Grant,  4825,  364. 

Geneva  cattle  abroad,  388. 

Gentle  Annie,  310. 

Gibson,    Richard,    392. 

Gibson's   sale  of   1882,    713. 

Gillett,    John   D.,    809. 

Glen   Flora   dispersion,   471. 

Gold    Digger    (24044),    663. 

Golden   age,    the,   459. 

Golden   Days,    602. 

Golden    Drops,    651. 

Golden    Drops   in   America,    682. 

Golden  Drop  of  Hillhurst,   729. 

Golden    Rule,    98"268,    792. 

Goldfinder    (47967),    745. 

Goldflnder.  imp.  (2066),  312. 

Goldies,    The,    660. 

Goodness  3d,   295. 

Gough  &  Miller  cattle,  165. 

Grand   Duchess,   383. 

Grand  Duchesses,  the.  245. 

Grand    Duke,   2933,    296. 

Grand   Duke    (10284),    245. 

2d     Grand     Duke     (12961),     246. 

Grand  Duko  of  Gloster  (26288). 
604. 

Grand    Lady,    592. 

"Grasmere,"    318. 

Green   Bros.,    of   Innerkip,   696. 

Griswold  sale  of  1875,  486. 

Groom  importations  and  tale, 
4BO. 

Grove  Park,  334. 

Gwendoline  2d,   763. 

Gwynnes,   487. 

Gypsy  Maid,   760. 

Halnaby  or  Strawberry  tribe,  60. 

Hamiltons,  the,  722. 

Hamiltons   of  Kentucky,  538,  541. 

Harris  of  Linwood,  727. 

Harris,    B.   F.,  336. 

Handling  quality,   855. 

Hannah   More,   313. 

Havering    Nonpareil    2d.    749. 

Havering   Park    sale,    386. 

Hay  of  Shethin,  571. 

Heir  of  Englishman  (24122),  663. 

Hellidon  sale,   495. 

Herd  Book,  American,  founda- 
tion, 282. 

Herd    book    consolidation,    798. 

Herd-book  registration.  851. 

Herd   book   matters.    430. 

Hill,  J.   M.,   sale,  356. 

Hill   of  North   Oaks,    744. 

Hillhurst  and  Lyndale  opera- 
tions, 418. 

Hillhurst,    Duchesses,    sale,    712. 

Hillhurst  importations.   392. 

Hit!.    E.    B.    &   Bro..    335. 

Holderness  breed,  18. 

Holford,   Duchess  sale,  721. 

Holker    Hall    Oxfords.    534. 


Hollingsworth,    Samuel,    350. 
Holloway's,     Col.     big     average, 

516. 

Hope,    126. 
Hope,    John,    751. 
Hope's    show   herds   of   1887   and 

1889,   748. 
Hopewell,   130. 
Hopkins,    Samuel    M.,    172. 
Howard  and  Downing  sale,  427. 
Hubback   (319),    22. 
2d   Hubback    (1423),    83. 
Hudson    (9228),   617. 
Hustler,   Mr.,  47. 
Huston,  Jno.,  336. 
Huston,    Rigdon,    764. 
Huston-Gibson  sale  in  1883,  716. 
Hutcheson   of   Monyruy,   564. 
Hutchcraft's    importation,    216. 
lanthe,  224. 
lies    importations     into    Illinois, 

697. 

Illinois  herds  first,   334. 
Illinois,    high   prices  in,    422. 
Illinois   Importing  Co.,   276. 
Importations  into  Tennessee,  219. 
Importations,    recent,    794. 
Inbreeding,    36,    842. 
Indian    Chief,    9851,   695. 
Indiana   breeders,   early.    338. 
Indiana,    first    importations,    275. 
Individual     character     of     Bates 

cattle,    114. 

Injudicious  breeding,  543. 
Inkhorn    (6091),   615. 
Iowa,    foundation    stock    in,    348. 
Isabellas,  63. 
Jacob's    sale    at    West    Liberty, 

la.,    477. 

Jerry,    bull,   571. 
Joe    Johnson,    302. 
John   Bull    5981/2.    179. 
John    Bull    (11618),   624,    625. 
Johnston,   Arthur,   694. 
Josephine,    204,    319. 
Journalism,    beginning    of    live- 
stock,   416. 
Julia   of   Ury,   562. 
Julius   Caesar,    65. 
Kate    Lewis,    362. 
Kello's  Mistake,   453. 
Kentucky  and  the  Patton  stock, 

166. 
Kentucky   summer  sales  of  1874, 

466. 
Kentucky  summer  sales   of  1883, 

720. 
Kentucky  importing  com-pany  of 

1883,    718. 
Ketton,   bull,  79. 
Ketton  dispersion,   4& 
Ketton    farm,    30. 
Killerby,    57,  '67. 
Kilmeny   3d,   596. 


INDEX. 


899 


Kinellar,    650. 

King,    Col.   W.    S.,   406. 

King   Cyrus,    294. 

King's     Victory    at     St.     Louis, 
413. 

Kissinger's  sale,   472. 

Knightley    "Fillpails,"   155. 

Knightley,  Sir  Charles,  156. 

Lady  Bride,   376. 

"Lady"  Colling,  44. 

Lady  Elizabeth,  218. 

Lady  Isabel,  748. 

Lady    McAllister,    334. 

Lady  Maynard,  32. 

Lady  of  the  Lake,   209. 

Lady  Sarah,   560. 

Lady  tribe  at  Sittyton,  592. 

Ladys  of  Clark,  324. 

Lakeside's    show    herd    of    1888, 
759. 

Lancaster   Comet    (11663),    627. 

Lancasters,  the,  601. 

Lakeland's  bull,   21. 

Lavenders',   613. 

Leonard    (4210),    125. 

Leonard,    C.    E.,   428. 

Leonard,   N.,  347. 

Lethenty   farm,    667. 

Lily    by   Favorite,    144. 

Linwood,   727. 

Linwood  Golden  Drops,  733. 

Linwood's  salutary  influence,  742. 

Livingston   Co.,   N.    Y.,   Associa- 
tion, 272. 

Locomotive    (4245),    223. 

Longmore  cattle  at  Sittyton,  693. 

Lord    Althorpe     (Earl    Spencer), 
146. 

Lord    Bathurst   (15173),    623. 

Lord   Derby,   4949,   356. 

Lord  George   (10439),   121. 

Lord    Mayor    112727,    737. 

Lord  Privy  Seal   (16444),  633. 

Lord   Raglan    (13244),    625. 
,    Lord   Sackville    (13249),    594,   620. 
\  Lord  Strathallan,  17591,  685. 

Lothians,    the,   556. 

Louan  21st,   403. 

Louans,    297. 

Louans,  ancestors  of,   185. 

Loudon    Duchess,    322. 

Loudon  Duchess,  324. 

Loudon    Duchess   2d,    325. 

Loudon  Duchess   6th,   326. 

Loudon   Duke   3097,   323. 

Loudon    Duke    6th    10399,    427. 

Lowman    and    Smith's    importa- 
tions,   701. 

Lovelys,   the,   608. 

Lyall,   James,   402. 

Lyndale    sale    at    Dexter    Park, 
1874,   462. 

Lyndall  show  herd,  409. 

Madame,    65. 


Madison   Co.    (O.),    sale,   252. 

Mahomed    (6170),    561. 

Major    (397),    44. 

Mantalini,   119. 

Mario    (11779),   253. 

Mario    (51713),   773. 

Market  falling  off  in  1878,  532. 

Marquis    (11787),    252. 

Marr   of   Uppermill,   655. 

Martin's,  Dr.,  importations  of 
1839,  216. 

Mary  ALootsburn  7th,  785. 

Master    Butterfly   2d    (14918),    624. 

Mason  and  Bracket  Association, 
271. 

Mason's   closing  out   sale,   145. 

Mason  of  Chilton,  143. 

Massachusetts  importations,   180. 

Master  Geneva,   20368,   704. 

Matadore  (li-SOO),   618. 

Matchem  cow,  90. 

Matchless   sort,    591. 

Matson,    Jas.    S.,   271. 

Maudes,  the,  655. 

Mazurka,    imp.,   291. 

McMillan   sale,   402. 

Medalist    (13324),    261. 

Medora,   65. 

Megibben  Bedford  controversy, 
532. 

Meredith,  Gen.,  338. 

Meredith's  sale   in  1875,   480. 

Meredith   sale  in  1876,   518. 

Merry  Hampton,   132572,  •  796. 

Meteor,    231. 

Michigan,  pioneer  breeders  of, 
342. 

Mignonette,    403. 

Miller  of  Brougham,  first  ship- 
ment, 684. 

Miller  purchase  in  1887,  757. 

Miller    sales    in   1881,    541. 

Milne  of  Kelvin  Grove,  506,   699. 

Mimulus  by  Champion  of  Eng- 
land, 590,  689. 

Mimulus   family,    590. 

Miner,    Col.,    725. 

Minister,   0363,   355, 

Miscellaneous    Importations,    236. 

Miss  Ramsdens,   651. 

Miss   Shaftoe,   230. 

Miss   Wiley  4th,  323. 

Missies,  the,  656. 

Moberley  and  Young  Abbots- 
burn,  778. 

Moberley,    Col.,    death    of,   787. 

Moore's  Iowa  sale,   533. 

Monarch,  717,  338. 

Morris,    Col.   1..    G.,   240. 

Moss    Roses,    118. 

Mrs.   Motte,  175. 

Muscatoon,    7057,    321. 

National  convention,  the  first, 
429. 


900  INDEX. 

Nannie  Williams,    297.  Pocahontas,  310. 

Necklace,   119.  Policy  at  Sittyton,   587. 

Nectarine   Blossom,   132.  Polled  Durhams,  8S7. 

Nelly  Blys,  368,  473.  Portraiture,   about  animal,   868. 

Nelson,    Jas.    &   Sons,    767.  Potts    and    the    Duke    of    Rich- 

New  era  at  hand,  542.  mond,   703. 

New  type  sought,  577.  Powel's,    Col.,    purchases,    184. 

New   Year's  Day,   260.  Premium,    591. 

New   York  figures    (dairy),    833.       Prentice,    Jas.,    179. 

New    York    importations,    early,     Pride  of  the  Isles   (35072),   602,   639 
182.  Primary   points    in    management, 

New    York    importations,    225.  859. 

New  York  Mills  dispersion,  411.      "Prime  Scots,"  803. 

Nichols,  B.  F.,  275.  Prince  Alfred,   136. 

Nonpareils    of   Kinellar,    651.  Prince  Alfred  (27107),  634. 

Nonpareils,   the,   592.  Prince    Louis    (27158),    662. 

Norfolk    (2377),    89.  Prince  Regent,   877,   179. 

Norrie,  Alex.,  780.  Princess  Alice,   738. 

North   country  herds,   other,   645.    Princess    blood,    introduction    of, 

North     Elkhorn,    Ky.,    importa-          234. 

tion,  507.  Princess  Royal,  598. 

Northern    Kentucky    Association,     Princess    Royals,    657. 
254.  Princess  strain,  24,  85. 

North  Oaks   sale,   1888,   746.  Princesses,    484. 

Oakland   Favorite,    10546,    427.  Prizes  at  Cambridge,  95. 

Ohio   Importing   Co.,    194.  "Profitables,"    the,    233. 

Ohio    Importing    Co.'s    agents   in  Progress    in    the    Central    West 
England   in   1834,   197.  333. 

Ohio  Valley  herds,  189.  Pure  Gold,  569,  602. 

Old   Sam,   413.  Queen  by  Acmon,   347. 

Ontario,   early   importations,   672.  Queen  of  the  May,  134. 

Opening  sales   of,  1876,   515.  Queen  Mab,   134. 

Opposition,    spur    of,    546.  Queens,   the,  133. 

Opposition  ''to    prevailing    "fash-  Rachel   2d,    281,   291. 

ions"   developed,   431.  Rachel   3d.   335. 

Orange   Blossom   18th.    698.  Rally  of   1880,   537. 

Orange    Blossoms,    595.  Range,  on  the,  818. 

Origin  of  the  breed,  17.  Records  in  Iowa  (dairy),  832. 

Orontes  2d    (11877),  255,  257.  Red    Rose   2d,    235,    484. 

Oxford   Premium  cow,   94.  Red   Rose  8th,   309,   315. 

Oxford   Royal   of   1839,   93.  Red   Roses,   104,   314. 

Oxfords     90.  Renick,    903,    318. 

Page,    Jno.    R.,    441.  Renick,  Abram,  and  Airdrie,  298. 

Palmer's    sale    of    Scotch    cattle,  Renick,  Geo.  and  Felix,  191. 

717%  Renick  importation,  507. 

Palmy     days     at     Killerby     and  Rennie  of  Phantassie,   555. 

Warlaby,    117.  Report    (10704),    617. 

Paragon  of  the  West   (4649),  209.  Revival  of  interest  in  the  West, 
Parks,    C.    C.    and   R.    H.,   436.  248. 

Patton  stock,  166.  Richardson,    Thos.,    273. 

Pearl,  bull,  314.  Rise  of  Bates-bred  cattle  in  1881, 
Pennyman,    Sir   Jas.,    20.  542. 

Phillips,    Geo.   W.,    345.  Rise  of  Scotch  power  in  America, 
Phoenix     (by    Foljambe),     37.  671. 

Pickrell,    J.    H.,    358.  Robertson    and    Lady    Kirk,    554 

Pickrell   and  Kissinger,   522.  Roan   Duchess   sort,    105. 

Pickrell's   great    sale,    April   27,  Roan  Gauntlet  (35284),  641. 

1875.    475.  Roan  or   Red  Ladys,   658. 

Pickrell,  Thomas  &  Smith,  sale.  Roe,  Jno.   P.,   353. 

719.  Rose  of  Sharon,  201. 

Picotee  and   her   progeny,   591.  Rose   of   Sharons,   inbreeding  of, 
Pilot    (496),    59,    65.  302. 

Plantagenet  (U906),  620.  Rose  of  Summer,  648. 

Plum  Blossom,  131.  Rosedale,  414. 


INDEX.  901 

Rosys,    the,    156.  Stevenson,    D.    A.    C.,    338. 

Royal    Barmpton     (45503),    691.  Stewart,    Wm.,    sale,   438. 

Royal  Duke  of    Gloster    (29864).  Strafford-Page    discussion,    442. 

"  640.  Strathearn   herd,    757. 

Royal  Fame,  658.  Strawberry     or    Halnaby     tribe, 
Royal   Hero,  113611,  741.  60. 

"Royal"  honors  for  Bates  cattle,  Studley    bull,    21. 

378.  Studley  farm,   62. 

Russell    of   Exeter,   696.  Sultan    (1485),   154. 

St.    Valentine,    121014,    797.  Sweepstakes    6230,     301,     360. 

Sales  in  the   Blue  Grass,   483.  Tabulated    pedigrees,    importance 
Sallie    Girl,    741.  of,   99. 

Sanders,    Lewis,    Col.,    173.  Teeswater   cow,    176. 

Science,  "roots"  and  Short-horn,  Teeswater  stock,   faults  of,  27. 

551.  Texas  panhandle,   819. 

Scioto      Valley      Importing      Co.  Thames,   299. 

sale,  249.  "The  American  cow,"  46. 

Scotch    cattle    to    the    fore,    548.  The   Baron   (13833),    621. 

Scotch    heifer    brings    $3,500,    490.  The    Czar    (20947),    626. 

Scotch    power    in    America,    671.  "The   Durham   Ox,"   39. 

Scotch     success     at     the     shows,  The   Earl    (646),    82. 

703.  The    Pacha    (7612).    560. 

Scotland's  Pride   (25100),  639,  608.  "The   White ;  Heifer   That   Trav- 
Scotland's   searching  test,   549.  elled,"    41. 

Scotsman,   410.  Thompson    importation    in    1870. 
Scott    Co.    (Ky.)    Importing    Co.,  679. 

257.  Thompson's    other    importations, 
Scottish  Archer   (59893),   774.  683. 

Search  for  sires,  737.  Thomson,    H.     P.,    sale    of    1875. 
Seaton,   4356,   316.           .  488. 

Second   Mint,   569.  Thornberry   (12222),    253. 

Second     period     of     activity     in  Thorndale     and    the    Duchesses, 

America,    238.  244. 

Secrets,   the,   105,    605.  Thorndale  Roses,  380. 

Selling  the  surplus,  866.  Top    prices    in    England   in   1878, 
Sensation  of  seventy-three,  434.  533. 

"Seventeens,"    the,    173,    288.  Torr,  Wm.,  159. 

Seymour,   R.   R.,   192-3.  Torr's  triumph,  497. 

Shaker    importations,    270.  Towneley,  Col.,  609. 

Shakers  of  Ohio,  671.    *  Trans-Mississippi   trade,    488. 

Sheldon,   J.   O.,   274,  387.  Tribal    designation,    868. 

Sheldon    herd    transferred,    398.  Tuberose    2d,    484. 

Showing,   863.  Turn  of  the  tide,  510. 

Simpson   and    Buchan   Hero,   570.  Potts'  twenty  years  in  the  show 
Sir  Alfred,  297.  yard.   708. 

Sirius,   258.  Twin   Brother  to  Ben,   58. 

Sittyton,   576.  Tycoon,  7339,  412. 

Sittyton  bull,  first,   615.  Universal   adaptability,   801. 

Sittyton  cattle  in  Canada,   first.  Uppermill,    655. 

676.  Ury  Farm,  558. 

Sittyton  farm,  584.  Vail's    purchases    of    Bates'    cat- 
Sittyton    herd,    sale    of    in    1889,  tie  in  1835,  229. 

766.  Vaile  and   Rumsey   importations, 
Sittyton  sales,   summary,   776.  539. 

Sittyton  sorts  at  Uppermill,   661.  Van  Dunck  (10992),  155. 

Smithfield   Club,    806.  Van  Meters,  the,  305. 

Soldier's   Bride,    135.  Velvet  Jacket   (10998),   617. 

Sources   of  deterioration,    455.  Venus    tribe,    589. 

Spears   &  Son,   473.  Vesper,  121. 

Speculation,    evils   of,   545.  Victoria  51st,    702. 

Spicys,    the,    612.  Victorias,  the,  599. 

Stapleton  Lass,   253.  Village   Rose   and   Village   Belle, 
Starlight    (12146),    252.  623. 

State   fair   tests,    823.  Violets,  first  of  the.  588. 


902   •  INDEX. 


Violet's  Forth,  681.  William  of  Orange  (50694),  666. 

Violette,   607.  Williams     &    Hamilton    sale    in 
Virginia-  in  the  van,  164.  1884,  726. 

Vivandiere,  135.  Willis,   J.   Deane,   775. 

Walcott  &  Campbell,   390.  Wilson,   T.   S.,  348. 

Warfields,   the,   316.  Wilson  and  Seawright,  271. 

Warlaby      and      its      show-yard  Windsor  and  the  Blossoms,  131. 

wonders,   123.  Windsor   Augustus    (19157),    631. 

Water   King,    140.  Wisconsin,     an     early     importa- 
Waterloos,   the,   102.  tion,    276. 

Wendell,   Dr.   H.,   274.  Wisconsin  experiment,  830 

Wentworth,  Jno.  Hon.,  336.  Wisconsin  herds,  early,  353. 

West  Liberty  sale  in  1887,  756.  Woodburn,   263. 

Western  events  in  1874,  465.  Woodburn   dispersion,    789. 

Western  Lady,  281.  Woodburn       Farm,       subsequent 
Wetherell,    the    "Nestor"    of   the  shipments   to,   268. 

trade,   150.  Woodburn  sale  of  1882,  714. 

Whitaker,   Jonas,   148.  XIT   Ran.h,   819. 

Whitaker's   Norfolk    (2377),    89.  Young     Abbotsburn     110679,     779, 
Whitaker's  selections  of  1835  and  783. 

1836,   201.  Young  Albion  (15),  60. 

Whitaker's   shipments  to  Ameri-  Young    Broadhooks,    572. 

ca,  232.  Young    Chilton    (11278),    257. 

"White  Cow"  by  Agamemnon,  65.  Young  Denton   (963),  180. 

White    Rose,    105.  Young    Englishman    (31113),    657, 
White   Strawberry,   125.  664. 

Wibaux,  Pierre,  820.  Young   Marshal,    110705,    740. 

Wild  Eyes  tribe,  103.  Young   Mary,   201,   306,    310. 

Wiley    of    Brandsby,    153.  Young  Phyllis,  204,  306,  307,  310. 

Wilhoit  herd,   709.  Young    Strawberry,    32. 

'Wilhoit,    Thos.,    341.  Young  Whittington,   334. 


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